Siren Song: Curse of the Black Pearl
by Rosairio
Summary: My friend wanted me to write her something, so yeah... It all started when one Elizabeth Swann saved two girls, Roxanne and Victoria from the oceans wrath. I don't own the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise or any of the canon characters, just Roxanne and Victoria. HAS BEEN REWRITTEN! Dead Man's chest preview inside!
1. Prologue

Elizabeth Swann looked over the edge of the ship's railing, her mousy brown eyes staring out into the nothing. Her blonde curls had been pulled back neatly, and the pretty blue-gray dress she'd chosen today seemed to reflect on the all around atmosphere of the world.

The Caribbean sky was dark and gloomy, the thick fog surrounding them doing nothing to relieve the tension on the ship. But Elizabeth, despite the warnings from her father to not wander far on the ship, had always been a curious and imaginative child, and paid no heed to her father's and some of the ship member's warnings.

She did not care for the tales of superstitious sailors, though the fantastical stories they spun of pirates certainly did nothing to put out her day dreaming of epic battles and lost treasures. Of freedom on the high seas with no laws to be bound by.

" _Yo, ho, yo, ho, a pirate's life for me  
_ _Yo, ho, yo, ho, it's a pirate's life  
_ _For me_..."

Elizabeth swayed in time with the ship as she softly sang, staring out in the abyss, her mind worlds away.

"... _Drink up me hearties, yo, ho_..."

Suddenly, she felt a hand grip her shoulder, causing her to jump and whirl around to see the old worn face of one Joshamee Gibbs.

"Quiet, missy! Cursed pirates sail these waters. You want to call 'em down on us?" He warned, and Elizabeth stared at him wide-eyed.

"Mr. Gibbs." They looked to the source of the voice. Approaching them with a stern expression on his face is Captain James Norrington, a handsome young man with brown curled hair. Beside him, the newly appointed Governor of Port Royal, Weatherby Swann, young Elizabeth's father.

"That will do." Captain Norrington chastised, and Gibbs frowned.

"She was singing about pirates. Bad luck to sing about pirates, with us mired in this unnatural fog, mark my words." He warned, and Captain Norrington gave him a dismissive smile.

"Consider them marked. On your way."

"'Aye, sir." Gibbs grumbled, skulking off. "Bad luck to have a woman on board, too. Even a mini'ture one." He continued under his breath, and returned to his deck-swabbing duties, but not before taking a surreptitiously quick swig from flask.

"I think it would be rather exciting to meet a pirate." Elizabeth mused thoughtfully, not seeming to notice the weary look on her father's face.

"Think again, Miss Swan Vile and dissolute creatures, the lot of them. I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag, or wears a pirate's brand, gets what he deserves: a short drop and a sudden stop." Norrington growled, looking out into the fog. Elizabeth doesn't know what a 'short drop and a sudden stop' means, and as she glanced at Gibbs, he helpfully mimed out a man being hung, and she took a sharp intake of breath.

"Captain Norrington..." Her father interrupted. "I appreciate your fervor, but I am concerned about the effect this subject will have on my daughter."

"My apologies, Governor." Captain Norrington apologized hurriedly, and walked off to do other Captain things… Elizabeth looked up to her father, frowning

"Actually, I find it all quite fascinating." She said, and he sighed deeply.

"And that's what concerns me. Elizabeth dear, we will be landing in Port Royal very soon, and beginning our new lives. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we comport ourselves as befits our class and station?" Her father said in a familiar chastising tone, and she pouted.

"Yes, father." Elizabeth turned to look back out to sea, enjoying her own thoughts silently while her father went back to his office, no doubt going to do more boring work. If she tried talking to anyone else about them, she would get nothing but a negative effect from them, much to her chagrin.

"I still think it would be exciting to meet a pirate..." She mumbled to herself as the fog still hemmed in the ship; allowing very little of the sea to be visible. But then, something catches her eye from out of the gloom. She leaned closer, watching as a parasol floated out from the fog. Surprised, and delighted at this oddity, Elizabeth watched in amusement as it bounced off the hull.

Her delight quickly turned to confusion when she spotted two people floating in the water, clinging to a large piece of wood. Upon closer inspection, it's the bodies of two young girls, one wearing a simple white dress, and the other a blue one.

"Look!" Elizabeth called out, drawing attention to her. "There's people in the water!" People rushed over, and hurry into action.

"Persons overboard! Man the ropes! Fetch a hook! Haul them aboard!" Sailors scrambled to haul them aboard, and Elizabeth is almost positive the girl in the white dress had a tail, but it must've been a trick of her mind, because as they lay them both on the deck, she realizes the girl has two legs. Elizabeth sidled in for a closer look, curious about the two floating girls.

"They're still breathing." Captain Norrington sighed with relief.

"Where did they come from?" Her father frowned, asking the question on everyone's mind.

"Mary mother of God..." All attention was turned to Gibbs, who was still looking out into the fog. The sea was no longer empty, and to Elizabeth's horror and morbid fascination, a wreckage from a ship littered the water... Along with the bodies of its crew. What was left of the ship's hull burns above the water, a ragged British flag hanging limply from the stern as the H.M.S. Dauntless slips silently through it all.

"What happened here?" Her father muttered under his breath, pulling Elizabeth closer while clutching her shoulder tightly.

"An explosion in the powder magazine perhaps? Merchant vessels run heavily armed." Gillette tried to reason, but Gibbs frowned in annoyance.

"Lot of good it did them..." He growled. "Everyone's thinkin' it! I'm just saying it! Pirates!" There were murmurs of agreement around the crew.

"There is no proof of that." Her father's panicked tone betrayed his attempt at a calm expression. "It could have been an accident! Captain, these men were under the crown's protection. If there is even the slightest chance one of those poor devils is still alive, we cannot abandon them!" Captain Norrington looked at him, almost insulted.

"Of course not, Governor." He turned to the crew and started to bark out orders. "Come about and strike the sails! Unleash the boats! Gunnery crew... jackets off the cannons!" He glanced at Swann and smiled nervously. "Hope for the best...prepare for the worst. Move the girls aft. We'll need the deck clear." He barked at some of the sailors, who gently moved them aside and onto a space behind the wheel as carefully as possible. Her father pulled Elizabeth from the rail, and the gruesome scene in the water, much to her curiosity's displeasure...

"Elizabeth, I want you to accompany them." He said, looking very serious now. "They're in your charge now. You'll watch over them?" Elizabeth nodded gravely, and watched as her father hurried away to help unstow the longboat. Elizabeth wandered over to them curiously, studying them carefully.

The girl in the white dress was older than the one in blue, seemingly in her teens. They looked somewhat similar, but the white dress girl was paler, and had long dark brown hair, longer than any Elizabeth had ever seen. Her face was more angled, and even looking like a drowned rat, she was beautiful.

The blue dress girl looked to be younger than Elizabeth herself. Her hair clung to her tanned face, a black ribbed hanging precariously on a few threads. Elizabeth reached out, gently brushing the soft, wet, red hair from the girl's face, when she gasped awake, and grabbed her wrist. Elizabeth squeaked in surprise, and looked down at the girls hazel eyes, which were full of panic and confusion. She took a shaking breath, and gently took her hand in her own.

"My name is Elizabeth Swann." She said, finally gathering up the nerve, and the girl smiled tiredly.

"Victoria Turner."

"I'm watching over you, Victoria." Elizabeth smiled back, and in the moments before Victoria lost consciousness again, she would've sworn up and down that the pretty, if a bit blurry, blonde girl, Elizabeth she called herself, was a guardian angel sent from God himself.

Elizabeth gently put her hand back down, and continued to look her over, and spotted something shining on her chest, and against her better morals, she pulled out the chain to see what it was attached. To her shock, it revealed a shimmering gold medallion. The side she looked at was black, and when she turned it over, an Aztec skull grinned up at her, gazing into the depths of her soul. Elizabeth sucked in a sharp breath; this could only mean one thing, one semi-terrifying truth.

"You're a pirate." She said softly, but Victoria didn't say anything in response. Elizabeth gave a quick glance back at the crew, watching as Norrington barked out orders, and started moving towards her. She looks back at Victoria, and came to a quick decision. Elizabeth took the medallion from around her neck, and hid it behind her as Norrington called her into attention.

"Did they speak?" He frowned, and she nodded.

"The pretty red head said her name was Victoria Turner, that's all I found out..."

"Very good." He said, before he hurried off to bark more orders at people.

Elizabeth moved to the stern of the ship to examine her prize, the gold medallion. A wisp of wind buffeted her face, and she looked up, and out over the sea. Moving through the fog, silent as a ghost, is a large sailing ship, a schooner with menacing black sails. Elizabeth stared, too frightened to move, or cry out.

The ship is shortly obscured by the fog it as it passed, but not the mizzen-top... There hangs the frightening skull and crossbones of the Jolly Roger. The fog surrounded and closed in on the ship, except for the black flag. As Elizabeth watched in some morbid curiosity, the skull appeared to turn and grin at her, and she shuts her eyes tightly.


	2. Chapter 1

_The fog surrounded and closed in on the ship, except for the black flag. As Elizabeth watched in some morbid curiosity, the skull appeared to turn and grin at her, and she shuts her eyes tightly._

~- Elizabeth's room, Governor's Mansion, Port Royal, Eight Years Later-~

Elizabeth's eyes snapped open, her heart racing and she took shaky gasping breaths, as if she was struggling to breath. She clenched her eyes shut once again, before opening them slowly. She's no longer thirteen, she's 21, she's no longer on the stern of the forever intimidating HMS Dauntless, she's in her bedroom, and just woke up from a nightmare, or resurfacing childhood memories… She was never quite sure.

Elizabeth sat up, not enjoying the creeping darkness, and turned up the flame on the oil lamp beside the canopied bed she slept in. Carrying the lamp across the room, she approached her wooden dressing table, and sat down in the softly padded chair.

Pulling out one of the small drawers, she reached into a space beneath it, and removed the medallion. She ran her thumb over the smooth grooves. Eight years and it still hadn't lost it's shine, nor had it stopped the feeling of fear it gave her. She gazed at it, and absently returned the drawer to its slot in the table.

Suddenly, a booming series of knocks sounded from the door, causing Elizabeth to jump up out of reflex, which caused her to knock over her chair. The surprise didn't give her the time to catch the chair, since she was to focused on the intruder who dared to encroach upon her at whatever time of night it was, at least she assumed it was night, as she hadn't opened the curtain's yet.

"Elizabeth? Is everything alright? Are you decent?" She relaxed at the familiar voice of her father.

"Yes! Yes, uh, one moment!" Elizabeth said, hurriedly putting the medallion on. She threw on a dressing gown as he entered with Roxanne, who also must've just woken up and already looked fantastic. But that was just her infuriatingly natural beauty, though she supposed it couldn't be helped given what she was...

Roxanne was only a couple years older than her, but she was still one of the most beautiful people Elizabeth had ever seen. Second only to Victoria but she kept that to herself. Roxanne, had matured into a gorgeous young woman, her long hair had been cut to be more manageable, though not by much. Her tired brown eyes seemed to sparkle as she walked, carrying herself like the Queen of England, which she damn well could've been, but Elizabeth wouldn't tell anyone that, it would stroke her ego.

Her father, she noticed was carrying two large boxes. Dresses, she assumed, as she saw some uniformed maids following behind the precision of her father and Roxanne.

"Still abed at this hour? It's a beautiful day!" Her father chided as Estrella, one of the maids, pulled back the heavy curtains, making Roxanne and her cover their eyes at the sudden brightness, and Roxanne growled in annoyance.

Looking out the window revealed a blue sky that spanned over the bucolic town of Port Royal, built on a natural harbor. On a bluff at the mouth of the harbor stands Fort Charles, its stone parapets lined with powerful cannons, ready to defend the port from the Spanish and Pirates alike.

"I have a gift for you, Roxanne, and Victoria if she gets home soon." Her father sighed, Victoria was always up in the early morning hours, "exploring" she called it, but Elizabeth and Roxanne agreed that she probably knew most of the Island already. Setting the boxes down on her bed, her father opened one he displayed for her the gorgeous golden velvet dress. Roxanne and her let out an admiring gasp, and studied it closer.

"It's beautiful! May I inquire as to the occasion?" Roxanne asked, taking in the details with wide eyes.

"Is an occasion necessary for a father to dote upon his daughter and charges with gifts?" Swann smiled, and Roxanne grinned, though she was not his daughter, he might as well have made her one. But she also knew this was probably to help convince them to go to something, as these kinds of gifts often were.

"I suppose not!" Roxanne giggled, and sat down on Elizabeth's bed as the mentioned lady happily took it behind a screened off dressing area. Estrella and another maid followed, carrying the box.

"Although...I did think you could wear them to the ceremony today." He said, and Roxanne looked at him, sighing.

\- Roxane's POV -

"Must we go? You know I don't like big crowds." That was an understatement. Roxanne absolutely loathed crowds, much to Uncle Weatherby's chagrin.

"Ceremony?" Elizabeth asked curiously while the maids fiddled around with something behind her.

"Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony." Uncle Weatherby repeated, and Roxanne rolled her eyes while Elizabeth peeked around the screen.

"I knew it."

"Or, rather, Commodore Norrington...a fine gentleman, don't you think?" He asked, and Roxanne hummed, looking at her nails. He didn't receive an answer from either of them. "He fancies you, you know." He said, looking at Roxanne, she glanced at him, and looked up, annoyed. "I heard he was thinking of proposing this evening…"

"What! Uncle you can't be serious!" He wasn't really her uncle, more of a father figure, but Victoria and her called him that anyway. Ever since he adopted them into his family.

8 years ago, give or take a few days, they'd been found and brought to Port Royal. Roxanne, which wasn't her real name at all, but thirteen year old Elizabeth was unable to pronounce it, or rather, nobody really could, so they just called her Roxanne. Roxanne owed him for having taken them in, cared for them as his own… Her sense of morality would have made it hard for her to turn him down.

Behind the screen, Elizabeth gasps, drawing her father's attention, which Roxanne was grateful for, not being able to take her "Uncle's" hopeful eyes any longer.

"Elizabeth? Uh, how's it coming?" He asked. Roxanne peeked around the screen, and watched Elizabeth and the maid's struggle to adjust to the corset in amusement. Victoria would never agree to wearing a corset, she already probably off doing something "unladylike" as Uncle Weatherby like to call her excursions out into the world, he's given up on trying to make her "proper" by now.

Elizabeth was holding her hair up and a glimmering thing Roxanne couldn't identify( a necklace perhaps?) as the maid behind her cinches her into a corset over her slip. Estrella had her foot in Elizabeth's back as she pulls the laces tight. Roxanne giggled, looking at her best friend in amusement.

"Difficult ... to say." Elizabeth said breathlessly.

"I'm told that dress is the very latest fashion in London." He said nervously, glancing at Roxanne for help, she'd worn corsets before, it wasn't easy, but they did make her look fabulous.

"Women in London must have learned to not breathe." Elizabeth snapped, struggling to breath already. Roxanne heard Elizabeth voice her complaints, and smiled.

"Don't worry Lizzie dear, you get used to it." Roxanne chuckled, and admired her own blue dress that she'd picked from a box, it was beautiful. The dress was a deep royal blue with white accents. The pattern was exquisitely done with pearls sewn into the top of the bodice and at the waist.

"How can you get used to something so tight Roxy?" Elizabeth hissed as Estrella pulled it tighter. When Estrella finally finished, Elizabeth took a deep breath and winced as they helped her get the parts of the dress on. Someone knocked on the door, drawing their attention and a butler appeared in the doorway of the room.

"Governor? Madame Victoria has returned." He said in a drawling tone.

"Yes, well, when you're finished, do help Roxanne get her own dress on while I try to convince Victoria to wear a dress." Uncle Weatherby smiled, exiting with the butler. When Elizabeth stepped out, Roxanne grinned, looking at her with a bright smile. She was stunning, but was quickly dragged off to another corner of the room to have her hair put into place.

"Your turn Madame." Estrella said, leading Roxanne over to the area Elizabeth previously was in. Thank God she could handle corsets much better now. Roxanne grunted as they pulled the corset tighter. This was somewhat tighter than normal, and she did not fancy the feeling of her rib-cage being crushed. Today, she determined, was not going to be a good day, and it wasn't often her gut instincts were wrong.

When they finished putting the dress on, Roxanne moved over to where Elizabeth was.

"How can you stand this?" Elizabeth muttered as the maids left to go prep for the struggle of trying to make Victoria presentable.

"I haven't the slightest idea." Roxanne sighed, helping Elizabeth put her hair up. They settled into a comfortable silence, but Elizabeth could feel the medallion growing colder on her chest like it always did if she wore it for extended periods of time.

After Roxanne finished with her hair, the two switched places, and Elizabeth managed to twist it into something decent. They finally finished getting ready, Elizabeth had to drag Roxanne away from the mirror, they made it to the top of the grandtraircase, and watched in amusement as Elizabeth's father pleaded with the redhead to go upstairs and change.

Roxanne coughed to get their attention, and began making her way downstairs with practiced balance, though it was getting harder to breathe. When she reached the bottom, hands on her hips, Roxanne glowered at Victoria, she was in pain, and not feeling like taking any of Victoria's bullshit today.

Elizabeth followed, wincing with almost every step, but seeing Victoria before her was worth it. Roxanne may have been beautiful, with many more suitors than men they'd possibly met, some of which called her a goddess. But Victoria, was the epitome of whom Aphrodite was to Elizabeth, with deep red hair and glimmering hazel eyes that shone like stars. Her perfect lips were twisted upward in a sheepish smile directed to Roxanne, who was mentally preparing the best way to kill her for such inconvenience, Elizabeth assumed. Victoria's sun kissed skin was dirty in places, and her feet were covered in dried mud, and she'd lost a shoe apparently.

"Elizabeth! Roxanne! You look stunning!" Her father smiled.

"Victoria." Roxanne said, moving towards other best friend, looking at the shorter girls hazel eyes. "You have half of an hour to get dressed for the ceremony. Go, or I won't make you any pastries tonight." Everyone loved Roxanne's pastries. Everyone. No exceptions. Victoria gasped dramatically.

"You wouldn't!" The redhead demanded.

"I just might! Now go!" Roxanne snapped, and shoved Victoria, who smiled at Elizabeth, towards the stairs. Victoria hurried upstairs, disappearing into the hall. Uncle Weatherby shook his head, and went off somewhere with the butler, Leaving Elizabeth and Roxanne in the entrance hall. The medallion was cold against her chest. She glanced at Roxanne, who was dusting something off her dress.

Maybe, just maybe… Roxanne could wear it today. She'd always been into dark things like this, whether it be stories, or objects, count on Roxanne to know everything, or almost everything about it.

Biting her lip, Elizabeth's hand went to the chain around her throat the medallion was hidden in the bodice of her dress. She couldn't take it anymore, she decided that yes, Roxanne would be perfectly okay with wearing it for today. Hopefully she wouldn't show it to Victoria.

"Roxanne." She said, and the other woman looked at her, smiling. "I need you to hold onto something for me… It's really important." She said, and Roxanne frowned, confused.

"Of course. What is it?" Elizabeth took a shaky breath, and took the medallion off carefully. Roxanne's eyes widened as she took hold of it. "Oh Elizabeth… Where in God's name and everything holy and unholy did you get this?" She asked in a soft voice. The footsteps of people sounded, and Elizabeth quickly helped her get it on. Roxanne unceremoniously stuffed it in her bodice while Elizabeth messed with the back, clasping the chain around her neck.

"Ah, is there something wrong?" Her father asked, concerned. Elizabeth forced a smile at him.

"No, no, I was just fixing her hair." She smiled, and they both turned, and he smiled brightly at them.

"Good, good… Hopefully we will be leaving soon." He said, and they looked towards the top of the stairs, where they heard shouting.

\- Day, Fort Charles, Port Royal -

With choreographed precision, Governor Swann slid the sword and scabbard from the presentation case, held by a uniformed Navy man. He held it out vertically to James Norrington, who was in full dress uniform. James grasped the scabbard above Swann's hand, and Swann let go. He drew the sword, flourished the sword, and quickly brings the blade up in front of his face. Governor Swann stepped forward, pinned a medal to James's jacket, and stepped back.

Personally, Roxanne found she could be doing so much more in the time it took for this ceremony. Like drawing, or reading, or singing in her room, but softly enough for Uncle Weatherby not to notice. She wasn't supposed to sing, not really, not ever. That had been put into her mind since day one of living with the Governor. Oh she knew why, she definitely knew why, she was a mermaid after all, and knew to the extreme of what her powers could do. Well…

Okay, maybe she didn't know the extreme as she had dabbled a bit, not unregretfully so, but she'd read the stories, some in other languages which was a grueling task, but it was worth it.

James nodded, turned smartly and nodded to his fellow officers, he turned again and nodded to the audience – other important dignitaries, merchants, plantation owners, their families, all of which Roxanne hadn't bothered to learn the names of. She hadn't found them really that important. Another flourish with his sword, and he returned the beautifully crafted weapon to its scabbard.

The silence is broken by loud applause, making Roxanne finch, Elizabeth and Victoria looked at her sympathetically. They knew what she was, and how bad her headaches got if she stayed near loud noises for too long. Thankfully, a brief distraction was offered by James, who was greeted by backslapping from his fellow Navy men. Roxanne, although in pain, and feeling like she was going to die from the heat, applauded with Elizabeth, Victoria, and the rest of the audience.

Glancing at Elizabeth briefly, Roxanne saw her discreetly try to adjust the corset through the material of the dress, before she resumed clapping, trying to hide her discomfort. Roxanne pitied her, she really did, but Elizabeth would have to handle her own breathing problems as Roxanne was positive she was going to die from asphyxiation.

\- Time skip -

Roxanne fanned herself, trying to stop sweating so much. She was drying up and she knew it. God help her she wanted to leave, and do nothing more than soak in a nice bath for the rest of the evening. But, she was unfortunately still at the ceremony, and standing off to the side with Elizabeth and Victoria, who were chatting about what Victoria had seen that day in the market that day. They'd managed to get the girl into a dress decent enough for this party long enough to drag her to the ceremony. A miracle that was. She refused the corset though, and Roxanne agreed with her, willing to defend that choice to the grave, and wished she herself hadn't worn one.

People milled around them chattering or dancing to the music, which Roxanne had long since drowned out for the most part, all of it was just background noise as her mind was more focused on her lungs screaming for air. When Roxanne noticed James approach them, she straightened, and pleaded to God above that he wouldn't talk to her. She was in no mood to be facing a suitor at the moment.

"May I have a moment?" He asked, extending his arm out for her. Dear god in heaven why must you disappoint me so? Roxanne took it, forcing a weak smile.

"Of course." She managed out. God how tight was this corset?! She gave a look to Victoria and Elizabeth that screamed, 'Help me!' but they just giggled as her and James walked away from the party, and towards the parapet. After a moment of silence, of which Roxanne was grateful for and used as a time, to think of how to turn him down, or not… She hadn't decided yet. She was bad at deciding life changing choices, she glanced at James, who seemed to be giving himself an inner speech. Roxanne looked back to the ocean; it was calling to her, singing her name on the salty air. It always did, it always sang her name, asking for her to come home.

"You look lovely. Roxanne." He burst out, pink lightly dusting his cheeks. Roxanne smiled weakly, but unable to focus properly on his voice. He seemed so far away, even if he was right next to her.

"Many people have said so, and agreed with you." She said, and he grimaced.

"I apologize if I seem forward - but I must speak my mind." He added hastily, and stood straighter, looking as if he were going to give some important speech. Which Roxanne didn't doubt for a second. Here comes the big suitor speech… Yay….

"This promotion confirms that I have accomplished the goals I set for myself in my career. But it also casts into light that which I have not achieved. The thing all honorable men most require: a marriage to a fine woman." He paused, and Roxanne fanned herself harder, oh god a marriage proposal, but it wasn't helping. Not in the slightest. "You have become a fine woman, Roxanne." Roxanne felt her heart speeding up, and her throat tightened. Her vision went spotty as she fanned herself harder, desperate for air.

"I can't… Breathe." She panted out, he smiled nervously, still looking out to the sea that was louder now than it was before, or that could've just been the blood rushing in her ears. Black spots began to dance around her eyes. Not good.

"I'm a bit nervous, myself…" Dammit James! Roxanne stumbled away from him, reaching a hand out to the parapet to steady herself. Unfortunately, that did nothing to help stabilize her, and she just kind of slid off like water on laminated paper. She tumbled toward the crashing waves, and smiled likely. The word 'Home' ran through her head, and she slammed into the water, and the feeling of adrenaline rushed through her, the water seemingly revitalizing her.

"Roxanne!" James shouted, drawing the attention of the populace of the party, who rushed over in concern and shock.


	3. Chapter 2

_The word 'Home' ran through her head, and she slammed into the water, and the feeling of adrenaline rushed through her, the water seemingly revitalizing her._

" _Roxanne!" James shouted, drawing the attention of the populace of the party, who rushed over in concern and shock._

~- Day, Navy Dock, Port Royal -~

Two sailors stood on sentry duty, Murtogg and Mullroy, taking advantage of what little shade there was on the dock. But when they noticed a man sauntering over to them, they scrambled to block him from going the rest of the way.

He had what looked like a captains hat that covered his dark brown dreads, which were inlaid with beads and other assortment of trinkets. His darkly tanned skin looked slightly weathered, as did the rest of his outfit, from his coat to his worn brown boots.

"This dock is off-limits to civilians." Murtogg stated, holding his head up slightly.

"Sorry, I didn't know." Jack Sparrow flashed them a charming smile, "If I see one, I shall inform you immediately." He tried brushing past them, but they blocked his way. He frowned, and tilted his head slightly to the faint sound of music, and looked up to where music was drifting down from Fort Charles.

"Some sort of to-do up at the fort, eh? You two weren't invited?" He questioned, looking at them.

"No... someone has to make sure this dock stays off-limits to civilians." Murtogg replied stiffly. Mullroy nodded in agreement.

"This must be some important boat." Jack hummed, studying the ship.

"Ship." Mullroy corrects.

"Ship."

"Captain Norrington's made it his flagship. He'll use it to hunt down the last dregs of piracy on the Spanish Lake." Murtogg informed him, and Jack inwardly grimaced.

"Commodore." Mullroy reminded, and Murtogg nodded.

"Right. Commodore Norrington."

"That's a fine goal, I'm sure... But it seems to me a ship like that," Jack nodded to the Dauntless, "makes this one here just a wee superfluous."

"Oh, the Dauntless is the power in these waters, true enough, but there's no ship that can match the Interceptor for speed." Murtogg grinned excitedly.

"That so? I've heard of one, supposed to be fast, nigh uncatchable... the Black Pearl?" JAck mused, and Mullroy scoffed at the name.

"There's no real ship that can match the Interceptor."

"The Black Pearl is a real ship." Murtogg challenged, causing Mullroy to look at him, and frown.

"No, it's not." Mullroy argued back.

"Yes it is. I've seen it." Murtogg insisted.

"You've seen it?"

"Yes."

"You've seen the Black Pearl?"

"Yes."

"You haven't seen it." Mullroy scoffed.

"Yes, I have."

"You've seen a ship with black sails that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that hell itself spat him back out?" Mullroy deadpanned.

"... No."

"No."

"But I've seen a ship with black sails." Murtogg said after a moment. Jack took the moment of arguing between the two and snuck onto the ship. Mullroy rolled his eyes, exasperated with his fellow Navy man.

"Oh, and no ship that's not crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil hell itself spat him back out could possibly have black sails and therefore couldn't possibly be any ship other than the Black Pearl. Is that what you're saying?"

"... No." Mullroy turned back to where Jack had been.

"Like I said, there's no real ship as can match– HEY!" They whirled to look where he'd gone, and hurried onto the ship. Jack was standing at the wheel of the Interceptor, casually examining the mechanism.

"You!" Mullroy shouted, and Jack looks over in exaggeratedly innocent surprise. The

sailors hurried toward the gangplank. "Get away from there! You don't have permission to be aboard there!" Jack spread his hands in a mock apology.

"I'm sorry. It's just such a pretty boat. Ship." He flashed a charismatic grin. The sailors studied him suspiciously.

"What's your name?" Murtogg asked, his gun still pointed at Jack.

"Smith. Or Smithy if you like." He supplied.

"What's your business in Port Royal, 'Mr. Smith'?" Mullroy dragged out the false name.

"And no lies!" Murtogg added hastily.

"None? Very well. You've rumbled me. I confess: I intend to commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, and go out on the account, do a little honest pirating." He sauntered up to them, gently stroking part of the ship with his hand.

"I said, no lies." Murtogg said, frowning.

"I think he's telling the truth." Mullroy glanced over to his friend.

"He's not telling the truth." Murtogg snapped back.

"He may be."

"If he were telling the truth he wouldn't have told us." Murtogg reasoned.

"Unless, of course, he knew you wouldn't believe the truth if he told it to you." Jack intervened. Murtogg and Mullroy consider that point.

"Roxanne!" A voice shouted from the fort, and the three of them whirled around to look up at the fort, Jack pushed Murtogg aside to see a woman plummeting from the top of the cliff, and they all freeze as her body threatens to crash against the rocks. When she finally hits the water, narrowly missing the sharp rocks, a wave breaks, and then she is washed out away from the cliff, struggling feebly.

\- Fort Charles, Port Royal -

At the top of the fort, Norrington looks down desperately "ROXANNE!" He shouted, He leapt to the top of the parapet, prepared to dive, but a lieutenant, Gillette, caught his arm, pulling him back.

"The rocks, sir! It's a miracle she missed them!" He shouted, and Norrington glared at him, shaking his arm off. Looking down, he realized Gillette was right. Trying to think quickly, he jumped down and ran to the back, towards the stairs, and his men followed him.

\- Navy Dock, Port Royal -

Jack, Murtogg and Mullroy were still in shock from the sight, but Jack broke from the trance first, and looked at them, frowning. "Aren't you going to save her?" He questioned.

"I can't swim." Mullroy mumbled, embarrassed. Murtogg shakes his head, neither did he. Jack rolled his eyes in annoyance, the Navy these days...

"Sailors." He scoffed, and looked back to where the woman was struggling. He looked up, and saw several men picking their way down the cliffs. They are too far away to get to her in time, and he scowled

"Fine." He snapped, and pulled a pistol from his sword belt, hands it to Murtogg; and then hands the belt and his hat to Mullroy. "Don't lose these." And then he dove into the water, and staring swimming toward the drowning woman, who was struggling to keep above water.


	4. Chapter 3

" _Fine." He snapped, and pulled a pistol from his sword belt, hands it to Murtogg; and then hands the belt and his hat to Mullroy. "Don't lose these." And then he dove into the water, and staring swimming toward the drowning woman, who was struggling to keep above water._

~-In the water-~

Jack watched as the woman drifted down, seemingly unconscious now, but what made his heart stop was the shimmering purple tail. Bad, this was bad. Very, very bad.

The current turned her, her dark hair twisting around her face in smooth movements, and then, he spotted something glittering in front of her. A medallion? Pulling her closer, he grabbed her by the waist, and started hauling her up to the surface.

Jack swam toward the dock, struggling to keep them both afloat. He was going insane. Not that he already wasn't a little crazy already, but this was just madness. Rescuing a mermaid, a devil fish in essence, from drowning. It was far more difficult than it should be. Really, she should at least be helping a little! I mean really! He stopped swimming for a moment, and they submerged again.

He paused, and realized the problem was that the heavy velvet dress that was weighing them down. He pulled at the buttons on the back, and they gave way. He skinned her out of the dress, careful to avoid the tail, and kicked away from it.

The dress fell like a cloud into darkness, revealing more of her pale purple tale, and leaving her in a simple white under dress. He began to swim toward the surface once more, heaving great breaths of air as the swim once he broke the water, and felt the swim was much easier on him now.

When they made it to the tall docks, He started hauling her up, and her tail began to disintegrate back into legs, with something like slime falling off with the water, and her scales disappearing back into tanned skin. Thankfully, Murtogg and Mullroy were rushing towards them, and they hauled her up the rest of the way.

Jack climbed up to the deck, exhausted. The girl was on her back, with the soldiers trying to get her to breath again. Mullroy put his cheek to her nose and mouth.

"Not breathing!" Mullroy reports. Murtogg looked down; it seemed hopeless to them, but Jack knew better. Mermaids can't drown, a fact of life. But, then he realized she was wearing a corset, and that the problem must've sprung from that. He stepped forward, and drew Murtogg's knife from its sheath.

"Move!" Jack barked, pushing past Mullroy, and he kneeled over Roxanne, raising the knife, and panic momentarily flashes through the two soldiers minds. But Jack slit the corset down the middle, and pulled it away. Roxanne remained still, and his brow furrowed. But, they all jumped when she coughed up water, gasping for air, and choking on her first full breath.

"I never would have thought of that." Mullroy said, looking at Jack in awe.

"Clearly, you've never been to Singapore." Jack mused, flipping the knife and hands it hilt-first to Murtogg, and that's when he spots the medallion again, and he pulled it up to get a better look at it.

"Where did you get this?" Before Roxanne could answer, the blade of a sword is at Jack's throat. Norrington's new ceremonial sword, in fact, looking bright and sharp.

"On your feet." Norrington growled. And Jack stood, hands raised carefully. The rest of Roxanne's erstwhile rescuers reached the scene, including Governor Swann , Victoria, and Elizabeth, who looked ready to faint.

\- Roxanne's POV -

"Roxanne! Are you alright?!" Her pseudo Uncle asked hurriedly,taking off his jacket, draping it around her, fiddling with the buttons for a moment.

"Yes- yes, I'm fine Uncle!" She sighed, eyes still focused on the pirate.

"Shoot him!" Her uncle barked, and Roxanne made a face.

"Excuse me?! Uncle! Commodore Norrington, do you honestly intend to kill my rescuer?" She snapped, glaring at James, who looked at Jack. Jack nodded as best he could with a blade beneath his chin. James sheathed his sword, and extended his hand.

"I believe thanks are in order." He said, and Jack took James's hand gingerly. Roxanne breathed out a sighed of relief as they shook. Only to jump out of surprise a moment later when James unexpectedly yanked Jack's arm toward him, and then tore back the sleeve of Jack's shirt, exposing a brand on Jack's inner wrist: a large 'P.'

"Had a brush-up with the East India Trading Company, did you… Pirate?" He sneered, the others reacted in shock, save Roxanne. It wasn't that hard to tell what he was when she first saw him.

The sailors, in an instant, had half a dozen pistols aimed at Jack. He stood there, still holding the corset. Roxanne chewed the inside of her cheek, this wasn't good. Plus, she felt she owed him for saving her.

"Keep your guns on him, men. Gillette, fetch some irons." James barked to his lieutenant. He noticed something else above the 'P' brand is a tattoo: a small bird in flight across water. "Well, well... Jack Sparrow, isn't it?" He smirked.

" _Captain_ Jack Sparrow. If you please." Jack sassed back, and James looked out at the bay, still smirking.

"I don't see your ship, Captain." He mused.

"He said he'd come to commandeer one." Murtogg chimed in, causing Jack to scowl.

"I told you he was telling the truth." Mullroy whispered to Murtogg. "These are his, sir." He holds out Jack's pistol and belt. James takes the pistol, examines it, and notes the powder horn on Jack's belt.

"Extra powder, but no additional shot?" James glanced up at Jack, who shrugged. James unhooked the compass from the belt, and opened it. He frowned at the reading. Moving the compass this way and that, keeping it parallel to the ground. "It doesn't bear true?" Jack looked away, a bit embarrassed. James returned the compass to the belt, and drew the sword half from the scabbard.

"I half-expected it to be made of wood." He taunted, sliding it back into the scabbard, and he handed it to Mullroy. "Taking stock: you've got a pistol with only one shot, a compass that doesn't point north… And no ship. You are without a doubt the worst pirate I have ever heard of."

"Ah, but you have heard of me." Jack grinned, which faded when Gillette returned with the shackles.

"Carefully, lieutenant." James said. Roxanne followed Gillette, ignoring her Uncle's jacket which slipped off her. She was unconcerned, but her Uncle was intent on putting it back on her.

"Commodore, I must protest. Pirate or not, this man saved my life." She huffed, crossing her arms.

"One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness." James countered. Gillette snapped the manacles closed on Jack's wrists, who proceeded to jangle them slightly.

"But it seems to be enough to condemn him." She grumbled.

"Indeed." James smirked. Now that Captain Jack Sparrow was safely chained, James nodded to his men. They stowed their weapons, and two stepped forward.

"Finally." Jack grinned, and lightning-quick, he kicked the hand and wrist of the man holding the pistol to his head, and kicked the pistol, which sailed into the water. Before anyone can react to that, Jack has the manacle chain wrapped around Roxanne's throat. She let out a gasp, and growled at him. He was playing a dangerous move here.

Pistols were once more drawn, but now Roxanne served as a shield, she swore under her breath, but silently applauded his creativity. Norrington raises a cautioning hand to his men, panic edging in his eyes. Jack started backing away, towards the rest of Port Royal.

"Commodore Norrington," He smiled charmingly. "My effects, please. And my hat!" Jack said, pulling the chain tighter against Roxanne's neck, and she growled softly again. James hesitated, and balled his fists in frustration. "Commodore!" Mullroy handed the pistol and belt to Norrington, who held them out to Jack.

"Roxanne- it is Roxanne?" He asked her, and she rolled her eyes. Her heart racing and her adrenaline pumping, her mind going a million miles an hour, running through plans on how to handle the situation.

"Depends…." She mused.

"I'll take that as a yes. Roxanne, if you'll be so kind?" Jack asked, the smug bastard. She took the items from James, but Jack was quicker than she was, and took the pistol from her. He jerked her around so she was facing him, chest to chest.

"Now, if you'll be very kind?" He flashed her a shit-eating grin, and she glared at him. But put the belt on him nonetheless.

"You're absolutely infuriating." She huffed as she worked. Roxanne reached up to put the hat on him. She wrapped her arms around him, to fasten the rest.

"I saved your life; now you've saved mine. We're square… And about the Aztec Gold, where did you get it?" She pulled back, confused.

"What?"

"The Aztec Gold." He said, and she remembered the medallion.

"That, good sir. Is none of your business." Roxanne huffed, crossing her arms.

"Actually, it is because the only way you would have a piece is if you knew about the treasure, which I doubt you do, but considering what you are…" He moved his hands in a gesture behind her head. She frowned, so he did know, fantastic.

"This isn't even technically mine. Anyway, you get out of this alive; I may just give you a name." Roxanne smirked, and he rolled his eyes, quickly spinning her round again, pistol to her head. Jack backed up until he bumped against the cargo gantry.

"Gentleman... m' ladies," Victoria flipped him off and he laughed. "…Roxanne... You will always remember this as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!" He shoved Roxanne away, grabbed a rope and pulled free a belaying pin, a counterweight drops and Jack is lifted up to the middle of the gantry, where he grabbed a second rope.

Pistols fired, and somehow completely missed. Roxanne watched as Jack swung out, away and around from the gantry. James has held his shot. With careful aim, he tracked Jack's trajectory, when he fired.

His shot tore the rope, and Jack plummeted past one of the gantry's guy lines. He snapped the length of manacle chain over the line and grabbed hold of the far loop, and slid down the line, dropping to the deck of a ship. He ran across the decks of several ships before making it out of her careful eyesight.

"On his heels! Gillette, bring a squad down from the fort!" James ordered as his men chased after the pirate. He turned to Roxanne, concern clear on his face. "Roxanne, are you –"

"Yes, yes! I'm alright, I'm fine! Go capture him!" James was taken aback when she snapped at him, and wisely hurried away. Swann draped his coat around Roxanne's shoulders once more.

"Here, dear ... you should wear this."

"Thank you Uncle…" Roxanne shivered, finding suddenly that she was cold. Glancing out at the bay, she watched as a thick fog rolled in. "And let this be the last of your fashion advice." She chided briskly, but she accepted the comforting embrace of him, Elizabeth, and Victoria, both who give her a look saying that they would talk about it later.


	5. Chapter 4

" _Thank you Uncle…" Roxanne shivered, finding suddenly that she was cold. Glancing out at the bay, she watched as a thick fog rolled in. "And let this be the last of your fashion advice." She chided briskly, but she accepted the comforting embrace of him, Elizabeth, and Victoria, both who give her a look saying that they would talk about it later._

~-Night, Fort Charles -~

A noose hung from a gallows in the courtyard, waiting for the morning in which the recently captured Captain Jack Sparrow would be hung. The thought of the pirate made James scowl, his actions this morning in saving Lady Roxanne had been taken into account when deciding the pirates fate, but ultimately, his fate would be most definitely a grim one.

Him and Governor Swann walk along the far wall of the imposing fort, discussing matters of the day, when Swann asked a question that had been nagging at him.

"Has my charge given you an answer yet?" Governor Swann asked, and James looked down slightly, sighing.

"No. No she hasn't." James said, looking rather distraught at the subject.

"Well, she did have a very taxing day... Ghastly weather tonight." Governor Swann changed the subject, looking at the fog rolling into the town.

"Bleak. Very bleak, indeed." James said, looking around at the fogg, and his eyes narrowed when he saw a dark object coming closer. From the distance, there is a loud, thunderous, BOOM.

"What was that?" Governor Swann asked, and they looked around wildly. And then the whistle of an incoming canonball.

"Cannon fire!" James shouted, tackling Swann as the wall of the parapet exploded.

\- Night, Roxanne's Bedroom, Governor's Manor -

"And then, I started blacking out as the waves swept me under." Roxanne explained as Elizabeth and Victoria paid rapt attention to her story of how the day went, leaving out the bit about the gold of course. The fact that she was a mermaid wouldn't be news to them, not any more at least. But what bothered them was that someone outside of the family knew.

Which could be dangerous for Roxanne, even if he wasn't already a pirate.

A thunderous BOOM sounded from outside, drawing all their attention. The girls rushed to the tall window on the side of the room facing the town, and watched in shock as chaos unfolded outside in the town below.

Even through the fog, a mass of fires were visible, and ships were burning in the harbor. Victoria, thankfully, noticed movement directly below the window, and pointed out two shadowy figures that were approaching the house.

"Pirates." She hissed out, and Elizabeth took a hurried step away from the window.

"Okay, bad, very bad!" Roxanne exclaimed as they backed away from the window. She ran through possibilities of where to hide, when Elizabeth bolted from the room, causing Victoria and Roxanne to follow, much to their annoyance.

"Elizabeth! What are you doing?" Victoria shouted at her, but Elizabeth had already reached the railing overlooking the foyer, and cried out just as the butler opened the door, but it was too late; there was the loud BANG of a gun, and the butler crumpled.

Roxanne watched in abject horror, and urged them back to the room. Unfortunately, Elizabeth was frozen, so Victoria dragged her there. The pirates scanned the foyer, searching. The first was a sallow-looking pirate with a bald head. Suddenly he looked up, and grinned viciously as the sound of a door closing could be heard.

"Up there!" Pintel barked at the other man, a tall thin man with scraggly hair and a false eye who went by the name Ragetti. The pirates rush for the stairs.

Victoria slammed the door shut and locked it. The girls listened warily as the pirate's raced up the stairs, and Roxanne could feel adrenaline rising in her blood.

"What are we going to do now?" Victoria whispered, and Roxanne looked around the window. "I say we fight!"

"With what?! Are you crazy! We can't fight, and Victoria, no, I don't care how good you are with a sword, they have guns, don't be stupid!" Elizabeth hissed, leave it to her to be the rational one.

"How far do you both think the drop it?" Roxanne whispered, and Elizabeth gave her a look of incredulousness.

"It has to be at least 10 feet, 20 at most. Roxanne you can't be serious." Elizabeth hissed, but Roxanne ignored her, a plan formulating in her head.

"Victoria, I need you to climb down, Elizabeth, and then me." She said, looking at her friends.

"What? Roxanne have you gone mad?" Elizabeth asked, and Roxanne hurried them towards the window, opening it.

"Lizzie, it's more likely they're come to kidnap you, as the daughter of the governor would be very valuable. They probably don't even know about me and Victoria."

"She's right Liz. We've got no choice." Victoria said, and Elizabeth gave a resigned sigh, realizing the two are right. The sound of a body slamming against the door made them jump, and Victoria swore under her breath.

"Victoria, go, Elizabeth, follow once you're able to." Roxanne said desperately, and Victoria climbed out the window. Elizabeth and Roxanne jumped at another slam of the door, and it was starting to give slightly.

Roxanne started shoving Elizabeth to the window, when the door smashed inward, slamming into the wardrobe. Elizabeth screamed, and Victoria cried out desperately from below, having reached the bottom.

"Not today poppet!" The bald one snapped at Elizabeth who was struggling in his grasp. "Come out and we promise we won't hurt you." He sneered, and Roxanne was about to whack him with a chair when the second pirate grabbed her arms.

"You've got something of ours, and it calls to us!" He laughed along with the other one. Roxanne first thought is the Medallion. She was still wearing it…. Shit.

"Par... Parlay!" Elizabeth cried out while struggling, they look at her before looking at each other. Pintel couldn't believe his ears; neither can Roxanne for the matter.

"What?" He stopped.

"Parlay! I invoke the right of parlay! According to the Code of the Brethren, set down by the pirates Morgan and Bartholomew, you must take me to your Captain!" Elizabeth said squirming still, and Roxanne inwardly groaned. Elizabeth, what have you gotten us into now?

"I know the code." Pintel growled.

"If an adversary demands parley, you can do them no harm until the parlay is complete."

"It would appear so do you."

"To blazes with the code!" The Ragetti snapped, he drew his dirk but Pintel stopped him.

"She wants to be taken to the Captain, and she'll go without a fuss." He looked to Elizabeth: 'right?' Elizabeth nodded, Roxanne frowned, dammit Lizzie… At least it bought Victoria time to go get help. Roxanne hoped that's what she was doing. Elizabeth could be rash at moments; this was one of those moments. She had to learn to think things through more, like when she would lecture them.

Roxanne frown deepened as the situation seemed hopeless. She could always sing… But, that wouldn't hold them for long. She knew of the curse surrounding the gold, and if they were searching for it, which they possibly were… Nothing she could do could kill them.

"We must honor the code." Pintel grinned, and Ragetti conceded at the point, sheathed his dirk, and grabbed Roxanne roughly by the arm. The pirates proceeded to drag them out of the mansion.

\- Night, Prison Cells, Fort Charles -

The wall of the cells exploded inward, causing several of the prisoners to cry out in surprise and or pain. Jack had managed to get himself out from under rubble. Moonlight spilled in through the gaping hole created by the cannon ball.

And beyond it: _freedom_.

Unfortunately, it was centered on the other cell. The part of Jack's cell that was gone was far too small for any man to slip through, much to the captains disbelief.

"Praise be!" A prisoner shouted, he and the other two scrambled through.

"My sympathies, friend, you've no manner of luck at all!" Another smiled sadly to him, and the three descend the rocks beyond, disappearing from view. Jack was left alone to listen as the cannon fire continued, occasional hits shaking the fort, but none allowed him to flee.

Jack leaned his head back against a wall, and spotted the dog cowering under a long bench, key ring still in his mouth. Jack sighed, resigned, and picked up the bone from the other cell, and tried coaxing the dog forward.

"It's all right, doggie... Come here, boy. Come here, Spot. Rover. Fido?" He tried a number of names, and to his surprise, the dog crawled out from under the bench. He continued to coax him closer. When the key ring was almost within Jack's reach, just a _little_ closer… When the dog's attention went to the door into the cell block. He bristled, and growled, backing away from the door.

"What's the matter, boy?" Jack asked, and the dog bolted, through through the bars and into the cell, then out through the breached wall, taking the keys with him. "OH COME ON!" Jack shouted in frustration, when door to the cell block bursted open. Allowing a pair of pirates to step in, Khoehler and Twigg.

"This isn't the armory." Twigg frowned, as he turned to go, Koehler spotted Jack, and a cruel smirk graced his features.

"Well, well... Look what we have here, Twigg. It's Captain Sparrow." Koehler said in his Dutch accent, and Twigg leaned against the cell door, grinning maliciously.

"Huh. Last time I saw you, you were all alone on a God-forsaken island, shrinking into the distance. I'd heard you'd gotten off, but I didn't believe it."

"Did you sprout little wings and flyaway?" Koehler laughed.

"His fortunes aren't improved much." The two laugh, but Jack doesn't. He stepped forward, close to the bars. This put him in a spill of moonlight, looking ready to kill them where they stood if he could only get out of this cell.

"Worry about your own fortunes. The lowest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers... And mutineers." He spat, but Koehler and Twigg don't like hearing that. Koehler lashed out, grabbing Jack by the throat through the bars. Jack clutched the pirate's wrist, and looked down. Where they entered the moonlight, Koehler's wrists and hands were skeletal, causing Jack's eyes go wide, he was holding a skeleton arm.

"You are cursed." He whispered, and Koehler sneered, shoving Jack backwards. Now out of the moonlight, his hand is normal. Jack stared, realizing something very important. "The stories are true." Koehler ushered Twigg toward the door. He looked back, glaring at Jack.

"You know nothing of hell." Koehler sneered, and then they're gone, leaving Jack alone once more, with nothing but the sound of cannon fire.


	6. Chapter 5

_Jack stared, realizing something very important. "The stories are true." Koehler ushered Twigg toward the door. He looked back, glaring at Jack._

" _You know nothing of hell." Koehler sneered, and then they're gone, leaving Jack alone once more, with nothing but the sound of cannon fire._

~- Night, Long boat, Port Royal-~

Amid the thunder of cannon fire, a longboat slipped through the fog. Elizabeth sat in the prow, with Roxanne on the bench behind her. As they looked around columns of water from cannon balls shot up like geysers around the boat, occasionally spraying them, much to Elizabeth's annoyance, and Roxanne's agony. She could feel the burning sensation of not being able to transform in enough water. That was precisely why she hated baths, but hey, what could you do?

As the fog parted, the girls looked up to see the Black Pearl in all its glory. A tall galleon, with black sails looming high above them. At the bow, an ornately carved figurehead of a beautiful woman, arm held high, and a small bird taking wing from her outstretched hand. Stunning. Absolutely stunning. As the longboat neared the daunting ship, Roxanne felt a wave of premonition rolling over her.

The longboat was raised above the deck rail when they neared the sides, and the pirates on deck spotted them, and stared in mild surprise. One polite fellow stepped forward to offer his hand, which Elizabeth took carefully, and stepped down to the deck, quickly followed by Roxanne. Elizabeth huddled, drawing herself closer, feeling somewhat self-conscious in her nightgown and dressing robe, while Roxanne looked around curiously, scoping out the new landscape.

Taking in every detail of the beautiful ship. Roxanne could feel the waves drumming at the hull, rocking the ship to it's movements. She took a breath of salty air from the open ocean. It smelled of _home_.

"I didn't know we was taking captives." One pirate frowned.

"This one's invoked the right of parley," Pintel nodded to Elizabeth. "...with Captain Barbossa."

An imposing figure in silhouette stood by the wheel caught Roxanne's eye, too far away to have heard Pintel's words Roxanne noted, but his head turned at the mention of the name. The silhouetted figure moved toward the stairs. A cloud of smoke obscuring him from her careful eyes- and then, as if he skipped the stairs, he strode out of the smoke on the main deck.

' _Barbossa_?' Roxanne thought with a tilted head, and caught sight of his hat. ' _Barbossa_.' She confirmed, current captain of the Black Pearl. Despite the bright colors of his clothing, he was definitely not a man you'd want to meet in a dark alley, or anywhere, for that matter. But here they were, on a pirate ship, doing god knows what. Elizabeth, clearly terrified, couldn't look away from his eyes. But she managed to get up her courage...

"I am here to–" She began. Then Bosun moved to slap her, causing Roxanne to growl dangerously, her eyes flashing a bright amber for a moment.

"You'll speak when spoken to!" He growled, but his wrist was grabbed, painfully, by Barbossa, who twisted it.

"And you'll not lay a hand on those under the protection of parlay!" He growled to Bosun.

"Aye, sir." He grumbled, and Barbossa released him. Turning to Elizabeth, he smiled, showing off his silver and gold teeth.

"My apologies miss. As you were saying, before you were so rudely interrupted?" Elizabeth straightened in response.

"Captain Barbossa... I have come to negotiate the cessation of hostilities against Port Royal. Barbossa looked impressed, and amused.

"There was a lot of long words in there, miss, and we're not but humble pirates. What is it you want?" He asked, making Roxanne raise an eyebrow.

"She wants you to stop pillaging Port Royal and take your business elsewhere." Roxanne chimed in helpfully. Barbossa and the pirates laughed, and Elizabeth frowned.

"I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request." He said, looking back at his men, some of whom looked very confused... "Means' No. '" Elizabeth glanced at Roxanne worriedly. The Mermaid sighed, looking up at the captain with her glinting brown eyes.

"Very well." She slipped the medallion off, turned to the side rail, and dangled it over the edge, gods she hoped she was right. The pirates went quiet, eyes narrowed. "I'll drop it!" Elizabeth stared at her, eye twitching.

"My holds are bursting with swag." Barbossa mused, raising an eyebrow. "That bit of shine matters to me... Why?" He said, and Roxanne smirked.

"Fine. I suppose if this is worthless, there's no reason to keep it." She shrugged, letting the medallion slip.

"NO!" Barbossa surged forward. She caught it by the chain, and smiled at him triumphantly, He sighed, and glared at her. "You have a name, missy?"

"Roxanne –"She paused. "Turner… Roxanne Turner. I'm a maid at the governor's household, and this is Elizabeth, she's a maid as well." She lied through her teeth and curtseyed, Elizabeth quickly followed her example. Barbossa frowned at the name Turner: it confirmed what he had suspected. The other pirates surreptitiously exchanged glances and nods.

"You've got sand, for a maid." He said, nodding to them both.

"Thank you, sir." Elizabeth said.

"And how does a maid come to own a trinket such as that? A family heirloom, perhaps?" He asked Roxanne, who made a face.

"Of course!" She said, pulling off her best offended voice, gods she was good at this. "I didn't steal it, if that's what you mean."

"No, no, nothing like that." He said, mulling over his thoughts. "Very well. You hand that over, we'll put your town to our rudder and ne'er return." He smirked, and Roxanne narrowed her eyes, feeling like she forgot something.

"Can we trust you?" Elizabeth asked.

"It's you who invoked the parlay!" Barbossa snapped, and looked to Roxanne. "Believe me, Miss, you'd best hand it over, now... Or these be the last friendly words you'll hear!" Roxanne hesitated, but she had no choice. She held out the medallion. He grabbed it, clutching it in his fist.

"Our bargain..?" Elizabeth said, frowning. Barbossa grinned devilishly, but then nodded to the Bosun.

"Still the guns boys, and stow 'em! Signal the men, set the flags, and make good to clear port!" Bosun barked out orders. For the first time since the attack began, the booming of the guns ceases. Elizabeth is surprised and relieved. The pirates hustle to follow orders. Barbossa turns away.

Then, Elizabeth realized something. "Wait! You must return us to shore! According to the rules of the Order of the Brethren-" Barbossa spun around to smirk at her.

"First. Your return to shore was not part of our negotiations nor our agreement, and so I 'must' do nothing. Secondly: you must be a pirate for the pirate's code to apply. And you're not. And thirdly... The code is more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules." He grinned gold and silver. "Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, Miss Turner, Miss Elizabeth." Elizabeth stared at him in speechless terror while Roxanne groaned inwardly. So that's what she had forgotten . Damn… Nonetheless, feeling a little more than resigned, she turned to the ocean once more, letting the breeze soothe her frenzied mind.

This most certainly would be an adventure.


	7. Chapter 6

" _Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, Miss Turner, Miss Elizabeth." Elizabeth stared at him in speechless terror while Roxanne groaned inwardly. So that's what she had forgotten . Damn… Nonetheless, feeling a little more than resigned, she turned to the ocean once more, letting the breeze soothe her frenzied mind._

 _This most certainly would be an adventure._

~-Pre-Dawn, The town, Port Royal-~

Victoria ran, she wasn't an idiot.

When Elizabeth had screamed, she knew it was folly to try and rescue them without some form of help. She pushed her way through the jungle, her heart racing. When made her way down to the square, the fighting had stopped, and it was silent. She took in the devastation of Port Royal, the destruction that had been brought to her home... The harbor was dotted with burning and half sunken ships; buildings were razed and still smoldering. The aftermath of what looked almost like hell on earth. She ran as fast as she could to the Fort, praying that someone could help her.

When she arrived, the doors were smashed in by canons she guessed. She carefully picked her way into the ruined courtyard where rubble still smoked from the forts damaged walls.

"Commodore Norrington! Uncle Weatherby!" She called, only to be received by a terrible silence. "Hello?! Anyone alive in this blasted fort?!" She shouted. When finally someone answered her.

"Victoria?!" Uncle Weatherby, she breathed a sigh of relief. It was muffled, but she could tell who it was, and Victoria rushed towards the direction it had come from, and arrived at the doors of Commodore Norrington's office. She tried opening them, but she wasn't strong enough, so she resolved on banging on it till it opened.

"Victoria!" Her uncle opened the door, and embraced her tightly. "Are you alright? Has the fighting stopped? Where are Elizabeth and Roxanne?" He asked, and she bit her lip nervously.

"Yes and Yes… But, from last I saw them…" She looked up at him. "Uncle… They were captured by the pirates…"

"W-What?" A voice said behind her. They turned to the ruffled Commodore Norrington. His brown hair was a mess; his wig was gone, as was his hat. He had blood on him in some places and his shirt was slashed.

"Elizabeth and Roxanne were captured by the pirates that raided the manor." She said, his face lost color and she proceeded to tell them the details of what happened, though she was almost sure he would go hysterical any moment now.

When the sun rose, they (Swann, Victoria, Norrington, and Gillette among others) had gathered around a map in the Commodore's office. The map was so large it draped over the Commodore's desk, and the far end had to be supported by a chair. They had been arguing over where they should start looking for what felt like hours, when Murtogg reminded them of something.

"That Jack Sparrow... he talked about the Black Pearl."

"Mentioned it, is more what he did." Mullroy mumbled.

"Still–"

"We can ask him where it is, maybe he can lead us to it!" Victoria said, straightening.

"That pirate tried to kill Roxanne, as I'm sure you remember Victoria. We could never trust a word he said!" Uncle Weatherby scowled.

"I don't think he was going to kill her. He just wanted his stuff back probably." She huffed. "Besides, we could always strike a deal with him."

"No. The pirates who invaded this fort left Sparrow locked in his cell. Ergo, he is not their ally, and therefore of no value." Commodore Norrington said, frowning. "We will determine their most likely course, and launch a search mission that sails with the tide." Victoria clenched her fists, but reasoned that was their best option at the moment.

"Victoria, I know you're angry, but there's nothing more we can do at the moment." Uncle Weatherby said, gently guiding her out of the room. "Go home, rest; you've had a long day." He said, and she glared at him, but left. Uncle Weatherby closed the door as he watched her round the corner. Victoria slowly stuck her head out when she heard the door closer, and hurriedly went the other way, towards the cells of Fort Charles.

\- Day, Jail cells, Fort Charles -

Jack strained against the heavy iron bars, trying to budge one enough for him to escape. Even with the damage from the cannon ball that previous night, it wouldn't move, much to his frustration. He froze when he heard the sound of the door latch.

Victoria slipped in, and spotted Jack lounging on the floor of his cell, seemingly relaxed and unconcerned. She marched straight up to the bars, and he flashed her a grin that made her want to punch him.

"Are you familiar with that ship? The Black Pearl?" She asked, not wasting any time with formalities, crossing her arms.

"Somewhat." Jack said, giving the thought a dismissive wave.

"Then where does it make berth?" He snorted.

"Surely you've heard the stories love!"

"Don't call me love." Victoria growled, but Jack ignored her.

"The Black Pearl sails from the dreaded Isla de Muerta., an island that cannot be found… except by those who already know where it is." He said, and she rolled her eyes at his response.

"The ship's real enough." Victoria shrugged. "So its anchorage must be a real place. So where is it?"

"Why ask me? How could I possibly know that?" Jack said, watching her warily.

"Because you're a pirate."

"And you want to turn pirate yourself?" Jack mused, and she hesitated, he smirked.

"As adventurous as it seems. No, they took Elizabeth and Roxanne. I'm sure you remember her. Seeing as you've held a gun to her head." She said, and he frowned. As charming as Roxanne had been, was she really worth it to him? Not really… Especially considering what the girl was, no, he'd rather not have another run in with her. He hadn't even met this Elizabeth woman.

"Well, if you're intending to brave all and hasten to rescue them, you'll have to do it alone. I see no profit in it for me."

"Look you bastard of a pirate, I'm here to make a deal with you." Jack looked up at her, curious. "I can get you out of here." She said, and he raised an eyebrow.

"How? The key's run off." Jack smirked. Victoria examined the cell, and then peered at the hinges. She looked at the familiarity of them, and smiled.

"Those are hook-and-ring hinges. The proper application of strength, the door'll lift free. Just calls for the right lever and fulcrum. . ." Jack watched Victoria as she spoke, and it dawned on him, Victoria was almost the spitting image of someone he'd known in the past.

"Your name is Turner." He said, and Victoria frowned at him.

"Yes. Victoria Turner, and how the hell did you know that." Jack grinned at this.

"Victoria Turner..." He stood. "I'll tell you what, Miss Turner. I've changed my mind. You spring me from this cell, and on pain of death, I'll you to the Black Pearl." He stuck out his hand. "Do we have an accord?" Victoria gave him a suspicious look, but Jack kept his hand out, still grinning. She shook it with a feeling that she'll regret it.

"Agreed."

"Agreed!" Jack beamed at her, and Victoria looked around, trying to find something to help her lift the bars. She made a chair her fulcrum, and levered the long bench under the door. Pushing down, it was hard work, but the cell door rose, and then fell forward, crashing down on the bench and chair before she can catch it. Jack stepped out of the cell, looking out of the cell.

"Someone will have heard that. Hurry." She said, about to leave when Jack started searching the desk and cupboards.

"Not without my effects." He said, frowning.

"We need to go!" She said urgently, feeling confused as to why Jack would need his things when he could just get new things. Jack found his pistol, sword belt, and compass. He strapped on the belt, checks the shot in his pistol.

"Why are you bothering with that?"

"My business, Victoria. As for your business, one question, or there's no use going." He joined her at the door. "These girls. what do they mean to you? How far are you willing to go to save them?

"I'd die for her. Them…" She said, hastily adding the end, and he raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Good."

\- Day, The Jolly Mon, The Royal Docks -

The Jolly Mon, with four inches of water in the bottom, squatted low in the water, heeled to one side, creaking on its lines.

"Ah, now there's a lovely sight!" Jack grinned, and hopped down into the boat. "I knew the Harbormaster wouldn't report her. Honest men are slaves to their conscience, and there's no predicting 'em. But you can always trust a dishonest man to stay that way..." Jack noticed that Victoria was standing frozen on the dock, staring at the boat in dismay.

"Well? Come aboard." He said, gesturing to the tiny vessel.

"I haven't set foot off dry land since I was twelve, and the last time I did, well, the ship I was on exploded." She gripped the skirt of her dress. "It's been a sound policy so far…"

"No worries there. She's far more likely to rot out from under us." He said, waving her off dismissively. Victoria steeled herself, and stepped into the boat as if it was going to capsize with the slightest movement. Watching as Jack hoisted the sail.

"Besides, we are about to better our prospects considerably." He nodded toward the H.M.S. Dauntless, and Victoria frowned.

"Sounds a good enough idea. We're about to steal a navy ship that's probably heavily guarded. Sounds fantastic."

"Commandeer. We're going to commandeer a ship. Nautical term love."

"Don't call me love." She huffed, and he laughed.

"Face it, Victoria: you may say you'll never be a pirate, but you're off to a rip-roaring start." He smiled "My advice? Smile and enjoy it." And the Jolly Mon bobbed its way across the bay, dwarfed against the H.M.S. Dauntless. Victoria held a stay line with iron fists, watching it carefully.

"This is going to require nothing short of a miracle." Victoria muttered, and Jack nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry love, we'll be fine. It's remarkable how often I am yet no one listens to me. Shame really." The Jolly Mon neared the rudder of the much larger ship.

\- Day, Main Deck, HMS Dauntless -

About a dozen Navy sailors were gathered together on the main deck, playing dice. Murtogg and Mullroy among them. That's when Jack and Victoria jumped out, brandishing pistols.

"Everybody stay calm. We're taking over the ship!" Jack shouted, and the sailors look at each other, clearly amused.

"Aye! Avast!" Victoria said, and Jack leaned over.

"We don't actually say that…" That's when the sailors all burst out laughing. They grin, shaking their heads in amusement. Jack stood there, grinning with them, but his gun was still level. Then Lieutenant Gillette, stepped forward, smile fading.

"You're serious about this…" He said, and Jack moved his pistol across, points it at Gillette.

"Dead serious." He said, still grinning.

"You understand this ship cannot be crewed by only two men. You'll never make it out of the bay." Gillette said, looking to Victoria. "I hope you know the Governor will hear about this."

"Yeah, send him my love." She smiled, and that sent more guffaws from the crew. A couple sailors move forward, hands on their swords, but Gillette held up a hand, sighing.

"Sir, I'll not see any of my men killed or wounded in this foolish enterprise."

"Fine by me." Jack, shrugged, and gestured to the edge of the ship. "We brought you a nice little boat, so you can all get back to shore, safe and sound." Gillette nodded, and sighed.

"Agreed. You have the momentary advantage, sir. But I will see you smile from the yardarm sir."

"As likely as not." Jack mused. "Victoria, short up the anchor, we've got ourselves a ship!" Sailors make their way down a rope ladder, crowd onto the Jolly Mon. Victoria pushed hard against the windlass, and to no avail... The anchor is just too heavy for one person. Jack sighed in annoyance.

"A little help?" He asked, and Gillette shrugged, and gestured to Murtogg and Mullroy. Victoria backed away, and the three men throw their weight into the windlass, and it turned, with Jack's pistol is on them the whole time.

"I can't believe he's doing this." Murtogg muttered. The windlass turned, bringing Mullroy into view.

"You didn't believe he was telling the truth, either." He sighed. The windless turned some more, and there's Gillette.

"Will the both of you shut up already?" He snapped, and they went silent.

\- Day, The docks, Port Royal -

Norrington moved along, focused on a manifest. Alongside him, Governor Swann, who glanced over at the bay and saw the tiny Jolly Mon headed toward them, riding low in the water and overloaded with sailors. Beyond that, the Dauntless sailed, albeit slowly, for open waters.

"Commodore-" Swann started.

"A moment." Norrington said, still focused on the manifest.

"But–"

"Please." Norrington cut him off once more, with more annoyance this time.

"Dammit, man, it appears someone is stealing your ship!" Governor Swann snapped, and Commodore Norrington head snapped up, and he looked out to the bay. Sure enough, the HMS Dauntless was on the move. Commodore Norrington hastily took a brass telescope from his belt, opening it, he trained it on the main deck. He picked out Victoria, and frowned.

"Sir, I do believe your ward is stealing my ship." Commodore Norrington said, and Swann whirled on him, looking stunned.

"What?!" Commodore Norrington continued looking through the telescope, and sighed when he spotted Jack at the wheel. Norrington lowered the telescope, grimacing.

"He is, without doubt, the worst pirate I have ever seen." The Governor snatched the telescope, and swore loudly while Norrington barked orders to get the Interceptor ready.

-Day, Main Deck, HMS Interceptor-

Commodore Norrington's smaller ship quickly came alongside the slowly moving Dauntless. Its deck appeared empty, but he didn't trust that for a moment. Norrington's men quickly boarded the ship, and begin searching for the pair.

"Search every cabin, every hold, down to the bilges!" Norrington barked, and his men rushed to carry out his orders. Away from the Dauntless, and on the Interceptor, a single sentry stood watch, and here we find a soaked Jack and Victoria as they climbed up over the side of the smaller ship, unseen. Jack tackled the Sentry from behind, and covered his mouth, muffling any kind of sound.

"Can you swim?" Jack asked the struggling man while Victoria wrung out her skirt, looking around carefully for any other guards. "Can. You. Swim?" He growled when the man didn't answer, and the man stopped. Jack hesitantly removed his hand.

"Of course! Like a fish. I grew up summers living in Dover, with my uncle-" He started.

"Good." Jack interrupted, and lifted the man up, throwing him overboard. He quickly went to untie the ropes to the grappling hooks, and Victoria cranked the capstan bars, raising the foresail.

-Day, Main Deck, HMS Dauntless-

Commodore Norrington emerged from a gangway, and froze as he watched the Interceptor moving away from the Dauntless.

"Sailors! Back to the Interceptor!" He ordered, but unfortunately the distance was already too great. One brave sailor tried to swing across on a rope, Errol-Flynn style, but fell short with a splash. Jack laughed as he waved mockingly.

"Thank you Commodore for getting our ship ready to make way! We'd've had a hard time of it by ourselves!" He laughed, Victoria joined him. Commodore Norrington seethed, clenching his fists.

"Raise the sails." He growled.

"The wind is quarter from astern... By the time we're underway, we'll never catch them." Gillette said to him, and Norrington looked at him, glowering.

"We need only to come about, to put them in range of the long nines." Gillette was surprised at the order, but relayed it nonetheless.

"Hands! Come about! Jackets off the cannons!" He turned to Norrington. "We are to fire on our own ship? Might I remind you that the Governor's charge is on there." The Commodore hesitated, but gave the lieutenant a resolved look, with a mild feeling of regret.

"Better to see it at the bottom of the sea than in the hands of a pirate." The Steersman turned the wheel, but the Dauntless' course didn't change.

"Captain, there's a problem." He called out, making Commodore Norrington and Gillette turn. The Steersman spun the wheel. It went round and round, with no signs of slowing. "He's disabled the rudder chain, sir."

"So it would seem." Norrington growled as the Interceptor shrunk in the distance. Gillette watched it go, with a small degree of admiration.

"He's got to be the best pirate I've ever seen." He commented as Norrington reached out, stopping the spinning ship's wheel.

"So it would seem." The Commodore replied. "So it would seem…."


	8. Chapter 7

" _He's got to be the best pirate I've ever seen." He commented as Norrington reached out, stopping the spinning ship's wheel._

" _So it would seem." The Commodore replied. "So it would seem…."_

~- Evening, Captain's Cabin, The Black Pearl -~

Elizabeth stalked around the cabin, looking very cross with herself, while Roxanne lounged in a chair, plotting on how to fix their situation. When a sharp knock on the door made Elizabeth jump and Pintel entered, carrying two silk dresses, one in black and the other in red.

"You'll be dining with the Captain, and he requests you wear these." He said, holding the dresses out. Roxanne stood up, curious, while Elizabeth gave him a cold glare.

"Tell the captain that I am disinclined to acquiesce to his request. I don't know about Roxanne, but I refuse." Elizabeth huffed, and Roxanne raised an eyebrow, watching the two.

"He said you say that!" Pintel said, almost giddy. "He also said if that be the case, you'll be dining with the crew, and you'll be naked." Elizabeth angrily held out her hand, and Pintel's grin faded. "Fine." He grumbled, exiting the cabin with a pout. Elizabeth examined the red dress while Roxanne looked over the black one.

"You should be more polite to them." Roxanne mused, and Elizabeth gave her a seething glare.

"Why should I?"

"Need I remind you that they're our captors? And pirates at that! It would be stupid not to. " She chided, and Elizabeth huffed, retreating behind the screened-off changing area. Roxanne waited patiently. Roxanne knew Elizabeth wasn't stupid. Just rash and stubborn, which was both a curse and a blessing.

\- Night, Captain's Cabin, The Black Pearl -

Roxanne and Elizabeth turned as Barbossa entered the cabin, followed by pirates carrying trays of food, wine, table setting, etc. Elizabeth was leaning on the table while Roxanne was sitting in the chair she'd claimed. Roxanne rose at the smell of food, eyeing the table hungrily.

"Maids or not, they fit you." Captain Barbossa commented, and Roxanne nodded in response, glancing at him before turning her attention to the food again.

"Dare I ask the fate of their previous owner?" Elizabeth said, Roxanne's eye twitched, while Barbossa tutted, grinning slightly.

"Now, none of that. Please dig in." He gestured to the table, which is now fully set with delicious food. The girls sat, Roxanne a little more eagerly than Elizabeth, who cut off tiny piece of meat, eating it daintily. Roxanne rolled her eyes, and eyed the rolls at the corner of the table, debating which one to eat first.

"No need to stand on ceremony ladies, it's not as if you're trying to impress anyone. You must be hungry." Roxanne eagerly ripped off meat of a turkey leg, licking her lips. Elizabeth joined her, dropping all pretenses. She's starving, and begins to eat like it.

"Try the wine." He nodded to the bottle. Roxanne doesn't, she had found a great dislike of wine at an early age. But Elizabeth liked it well enough to take a swig of it. Instead, Roxanne reached for an apple while Elizabeth tore off a hunk of bread and devoured it.

"The apples, those are rather good." Roxanne stopped as she's about to take a bite. Her eyes studied him carefully, suddenly aware that he's not eating.

"Did you poison them?" Elizabeth froze at Roxanne's words, she shoved her plate away, and her hand subtly palmed her knife. Barbossa laughed at Roxanne's assumption, and threw them a smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Oh, there would be no sense in killing you, Miss Turner." He said, and Roxanne took a bite of the apple, still watching him. It wasn't as if it would hurt her, human poisons had no effect. It was Elizabeth she was worried about.

"Then why aren't you eating?" Roxanne paused mid chew, the question plaguing her mind as well. She swallowed, wiping her mouth with her arm.

"Would that I could." He sighs, producing the medallion. Roxanne watched as it dangled from his fingers, the flickering candle light making it sparkle. "Do you not know what this is, then?" He asked, directing the question to Roxanne.

"An old story I once read." She hesitated. "Cursed gold from the treasure of Isla de Muerta?" She guessed, and he raised an eyebrow. Elizabeth looked at her, confused. "What? Perhaps I was more interested in old stories than you were."

"In any case. The lass is correct. This is a piece of treasure from that cursed Island." Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but was intrigued despite herself. "Back when Cortes was cutting a great bloody swath through the New World, a high priest gave him all the gold they had, with one condition: that he spare the people's lives. Of course, Cortes being Cortes, he didn't." Roxanne nodded at this.

"He'd've made a great pirate, that one." Barbossa stood, moving towards a shelf to open a medium sized polished box. While he wasn't looking, Roxanne took hold of Elizabeth's hand, the one with the knife in it, and shot her a warning look.

"So the priest, with his dying breath, called on the power of the blood of his people, and put on the gold a curse. If anyone took so much as a single piece, as he was compelled by greed, by greed he would be consumed." Barbossa pulled out some charts, a sextant, pages of Mayan codex, and pieces of tree bark with Mayan glyphs. When he turned, Roxanne removed her hand, and he gently placed them on his part of the table, which was relatively clear.

"Within a day of leaving port for Spain, the treasure ship carrying the gold... something went wrong. The ship runs aground, every man aboard dead, save one. He survived long enough to hide the gold ashore." He paused. "Over time, the dark magic of the curse seeped into the place, making it a cursed island. An island of death. Isla de Muerta." He looked up; both of them had been paying rapt attention, though Roxanne has read this tale a thousand times or more.

"That's all very interesting, but I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore." Roxanne stared at Elizabeth, and Barbossa glared angrily, surprising them by sweeping the turkey and other assorted food off the table.

"You idiot girl! It's no make-believe! My crew and I, we found the gold, and we did more than take one piece, we took it all. Rich men we were and we spent it and traded it and gave it away in exchange." Roxanne's breath hitched.

"You're all cursed…" She said, and he nodded, regaining his composure while Elizabeth gripped the knife harder.

"Aye Miss Turner, for drink and food and pleasant company. But we found the drink could not sate us, and the food turned to ashes in our mouths, and no amount of pleasant company could ease our torment." He looked Elizabeth directly in the eyes. "Condemned, to be forever consumed by our own greed. Gold calls to us, always, and we are driven, always, to find more, and add it to the treasure." Barbossa picked up the priceless pieces Codex, and crushed them in his fist.

"There is but one way to remove the curse. All of the scattered pieces of the treasure must be restored in full, and the blood repaid." He threw the codex dust aside and held up the medallion. "We've recovered every piece, save for this. As for the blood... that's what we have you for." He smiled, finally getting to his point. "And that's why there's no sense in killing you. _Yet_." Elizabeth stared at him, horrified. Roxanne is easily just as disturbed, but is at least trying to remain calm.

"So… You are going to kill me when we reach Isla de Muerta?" Roxanne said, and he shrugged.

"That depends on what happens between then and now, Miss Turner." Using the toe of his boot, Barbossa flipped an apple up off the floor, and catches it, extending it to Elizabeth.

"Apple?"

Elizabeth slowly reached for the apple, and then comes up out of her chair, trying to run around Barbossa. Roxanne shot up, dropping her own apple. Watching Elizabeth and Barbossa struggle, when suddenly he shoved her away. Elizabeth's stolen knife was buried in Barbossa's chest to the hilt.

"Elizabeth… What have you done?" Roxanne watched in horror, taking a step back. She knew what happened when she smelled blood, and was in no mood for that side of her hunger to come out.

Despite being just stabbed, Barbossa seemed completely unaffected. He opened his shirt to get a better look at the knife, and pulled it out with very little effort. There's blood on the blade, but none anywhere else, making Roxanne's brow knit in confusion.

"I'm curious, after killing me, what is it you were planning to do next?" He asked Elizabeth, who backed away, terror clear as day on her face, and she barreled out the door, Roxanne sighed.

"Sorry bout that, she can be a bit rash…" She forced a smile, and hurried after Elizabeth, who'd come to a dead stop on the main deck, and was staring at the crew in shock.

The pirate crew worked at their stations, coiling lines, navigating the ship, swabbing decks. But where the moonlight falls across their bodies, they are nothing but skeletons.

Roxanne, who was watching the crew as well, gently placed a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder, making Elizabeth jump and turn. Barbossa stood in the doorway, he brushed past Roxanne and grabbed Elizabeth roughly by the shoulder, jerking her back.

"Look!" He snapped, and her eyes shut tightly. "LOOK!" He shook her slightly, forcing her to open them. "The moonlight shows us for what we really are! We are not among the living and so we cannot die!" Roxanne watched with a bated breath, ready to rip his undead head off his body if he did anything she didn't like. Barbossa leaned forward, putting his face in the moonlight, turning it into a gleaming skull with gold and silver teeth.

"But neither are we dead! We have all the desires of the living, but cannot satisfy them! Ten years I have been parched of thirst, and unable to quench it! Ten long miserable years, I have been starving to death, and haven't died!" He raised a hand, and Roxanne narrowed her eyes.

"And I have not felt anything for ten years... Not the wind on my face, nor the spray of the sea..." He reached for Elizabeth's face. "... Nor the flesh of a woman..." Elizabeth flinched away from the skeletal hand.

It dropped to pick a bottle of wine from an opened case beside the cabin door. He uncorked it with his teeth, spitting it off to the side. Roxanne watched it bounce off, her attention turned back to the pair. "

"You'd best start believin' in ghost stories, Miss Elizabeth. Because now you're in one." He tilted the bottle and drinks. It cascaded over his jaw, staining his rib cage, drenching his clothes in a morbid sort of beauty that Roxanne couldn't look away from. Elizabeth darted around him, taking Roxanne with her, and back into the cabin, slamming the door. Barbossa hurled the bottle away, smashing it against the side.

Elizabeth huddled in the far corner of the cabin, terrified. Roxanne gently went over to comfort her, picking some bread from the table. She hunkered down next to the shaking human, and pulled her closer, letting Elizabeth cry.

"Shhh… Do you want me to sing?" Roxanne hesitated, and Elizabeth nodded, sniffling. Roxanne started humming, trying to lull her to sleep, where hopefully she would calm down.

" _Upon one summer's morning, I carelessly did stray,  
_ _Down by the Walls of Wapping, where I met a sailor gay,  
_ _Conversing with a bouncing lass, who seem'd to be in pain,  
_ _Saying, William, when you go, I fear you will ne'er return again…._ "


	9. Chapter 8

" _Shhh… Do you want me to sing?" Roxanne hesitated, and Elizabeth nodded, sniffling. Roxanne started humming, trying to lull her to sleep, where hopefully she would calm down._

" _Upon one summer's morning, I carelessly did stray,_

 _Down by the Walls of Wapping, where I met a sailor gay,  
Conversing with a bouncing lass, who seem'd to be in pain,_

 _Saying, William, when you go, I fear you will ne'er return again…._ "

~- Day, Main Deck, HMS Interceptor -~

Victoria sharpened her sword with a whetstone, having watched blacksmiths doing it when she was younger, and them occasionally letting her do it herself, she quickly got the hang of it, doing the movements familiar to her.

"For a woman who's made an industry of avoiding ships, you're a quick study." Jack mused, watching her work.

"Well… Roxanne can be persuasive and according to some blacksmith's back at Port Royal, I could do better than their apprentice's if given enough time." She mused, and he nodded.

"Of course, people are often surprised when they underestimate someone." Victoria hummed in agreement. They sat in silence for a while, which itched at Victoria.

"The same could not be said for me and sailing." She chuckled, and her expression went grim.

"Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow. "Considering who your father was…" He stopped himself, and she turned to look at him, surprised.

"You knew my father?" She took her sword off the whet stone as he shrugged.

"What makes you say that? Perhaps I only knew of your father. Why would I know him personally?" Victoria could feel her impatience growing.

"I'm not a simpleton." She scowled. "At the jail it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help." She gave an off smile. "Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter. But now…" She shook her head. "So, for some reason, you knew my father. Personally." She said in an accusatory tone. "Especially if my last name made you help me." Jack hesitated, and gave a deep sigh.

"I was probably one of the few who knew him as William Turner. Most everyone just called him Bill, or 'Bootstrap' Bill."

"Bootstrap?" She questioned, not liking where this was going.

"Good man. Good pirate." Victoria bristled. "I never met anyone with as clever a mind and hands as him. When you were puzzling out that cell door, it was like seeing his twin, but female with red hair." He grinned, and Victoria crossed her arms, scowl still present.

"That's not true." Victoria gritted her teeth.

"I swear, you look just like him." He teased.

"It's not true that my father was a pirate." She snapped, and Jack rolled his eyes. "He was a merchant marine! He was a respectable man who obeyed the law, and followed the rules–" Jack laughed, cutting her off.

"You think your father is the only man who ever lived the Glasgow life, telling folk one thing, and then going off to do another?" Jack scoffed, and Victoria seethed. "There's quite a few who come here, hoping to amass enough swag to ease the burdens of respectable life. And they're all 'merchant marines.' Look love do pay attention."

"Don't call me love." Victoria grumbled.

"Must, Should, do, don't, shall, shall not, those are just suggestions. There are only two absolute rules. What a man can do. And what a man can't do." She looked away, not interested in what Jack was saying. "For instance: you can accept that your father was a pirate and still a good man... or you can't. Now me, I can't sail this ship into Tortuga all by me onsey, savvy?" He goes back to the wheel.

"Wait… Tortuga?" Victoria looked at him again.

"Oh! Did I forget to mention that?" She glared at him.

\- Night, Tortuga -

Tortuga was, to put it nicely, a dank and dirty port where the tides seem to have swept together the scum of the Caribbean. Pirates, privateers, prostitutes, thieves, and drunkards, name it and it probably there somewhere in the dark cracks. As Jack and Victoria moved through the crowd, they failed to notice a redheaded woman, whose gaze hardened into a glare the moment they landed on him.

"... More importantly, it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep this sweet bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy? What do you think?" He said as Victoria looked around, grimacing.

"lt'll linger…"

"l'll tell you, mate, if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted." Jack smiled, winking at a prostitute. Victoria watched as a redheaded woman strode up to them, looking furious.

"Scarlett!" Jack smiled at her when she came to a stop in front of them. Scarlett practically growled before slapping him, and storming off. Victoria laughed at Jack's stunned expression.

"Not sure l deserved that." He grumbled, rubbing his cheek, just as a smiling blonde woman plants herself in front of him. Jack smiled back. "Giselle!"

"Who was she?" Giselle asked. Victoria grinned, this day just got much better.

"What?" Wrong answer. She slapped him and stalked off, heading in the direction Scarlett had gone in. "I may have deserved that." Victoria laughed harder. And they continued into the filth of a town, Jack pointing out spots where he'd "escaped a mob of sheep, pirates, a few privateers and a goat with nothing but a bottle of rum, rope, and a wig" or "and that's where I met a bearded woman who could best anyone at cards and made rum that would knock out in the first hour or so".

These stories went on as they seemed to wander aimlessly through the crowd, only to stop in front of a pub, 'The Faithful Bride' and Jack turned to a stall where a drunken man laid in the mud, surrounded by pigs and a foul smell. He looked oddly familiar to Victoria, but she couldn't remember where from. Jack went over to a nearby bucket filled with what Victoria hoped was water. He marched back over, and hefted the bucket up, splashing it on the man.

"Curse you for breathing, you slack-jawed idiot!" Then he stopped, and stared at Jack. "Mother's love, Jack, you know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. It's bad luck!" He chided, and Victoria was hit by a wave of memories of an old superstitious man by the name of Gibbs.

"Well, fortunately, I know how to counter it." Jack smirked. "The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink, and the man who was sleeping it drinks it while listening to a proposition."

"Aye, that'll about do it." Gibbs nodded as Jack helped him to his feet, and was then hit with a second wave of water.

"Blast it, I'm already awake!" He snapped at Victoria, who grinned.

"I know. That was for the smell." Gibbs paused, and nodded in concession.

\- Night, The Faithful Bride, Tortuga -

Jack and Gibbs sat at a table in the shadows, a single candle illumining them as they spoke in hushed voices. Victoria was a little ways away from them, at the door, keeping a lookout. Two tankards were set down, and Gibbs lifted his to take a swig.

"Just the one." Jack chimed in, making Gibbs pause, and instead took a dainty sip.

"Make it last, then." He set his down to look at Jack. "Now, what's the nature of this venture of yours?" Jack leaned forward, as did Gibbs.

"I'm going after the Black Pearl." Gibbs straightened up like he's been hit. He stared at Jack, eyes wide, and he leaned forward again, frowning.

"Say again?" Gibbs said, thinking he'd not heard Jack properly the first time.

"I'm going after the Black Pearl." Jack repeated. "I know where it's going to be, and I'm going to take it." He took his own sip as Gibbs stared at him.

"Jack, it's a fool's errand: You've heard the tales they tell about the Pearl."

"Aye, and that's why I know where it's going to be, and that's why I know what Barbossa is up to. All I need is a crew."

"A fool's errand." Gibbs shook his head, sighing.

"Not if the fool has something Barbossa wants. Something he needs." Jacks said, smirking.

"And you've got that, have you?" Gibbs questioned. Jack smiled enigmatically, and shifted his eyes' to Victoria, who was still on guard and glaring at a sailor away from the table.

"Back there, guarding the door is the daughter of old Bootstrap Bill Turner." Gibbs' eyes widened over the edge of the tankard as he peered at Victoria. Gibbs grinned, with more missing teeth than good ones.

"Well, lookee there. I'll allow you may be onto something, Jack." He nodded. "There's bound to be sailors on this rock crazy as you. I'll find some men."

"One can only hope." Jack said, lifting up his tankard in a toast. "Take what you can."

"Give nothing back!" Gibbs said. They clinked tankards, drank, and slammed them down on the table, making Victoria jump, and turn to glare at them.

\- Afternoon, Tortuga -

"Feast your eyes, Cap'n. All of 'em faithful hands before the mast, every man worth his salt and crazy, to boot." Gibbs stated as Jack moved down the line. He paused, contemplating a diminutive sailor before continuing. Unfortunately Victoria was not impressed.

"So _this_ is your able-bodied crew?" She said, gesturing to them. Jack nodded, and continued before stopping in front of a short sailor with a large, colorful parrot on his shoulder. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"You, sailor!

"Cotton, sir." Gibbs said, and Jack looked at Cotton.

"Mr. Cotton. Do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death?" He paused, waiting for an answer, but Cotton didn't. "Mr. Cotton! Answer me!" Jack snapped.

"He's a mute, sir." Gibbs intervened. "Poor devil had his tongue cut out." Cotton opens his mouth to show this, and Jack grimaced. "So he trained the parrot to talk for him. No one's yet figured how..."

Jack turned to the parrot. "Mr. Cotton's Parrot. Same question."

"Wind in your SAILS! Wind in your SAILS!" He squawked.

"Mostly, we figure that means 'yes.'" Gibbs shrugged.

"Of course it does." Jack turned to Victoria. "Satisfied?"

"Well, you've proved they're mad." She said, eyeing them all warily.

"And what's the benefit for us?" They turn to the sound of the voice, and pirates begin to murmur in agreement. Jack moved along, stopping in front of a hunched sailor, eyes downcast, face shaded by a buckled tricorn hat. He leaned to the side, trying to peer beneath the hat. The sailor looks up to show a dark-skinned woman with brown hair and dark eyes. Her face was twisted in anger as she glowered at Jack.

"Anamaria." He smiled, and she growled in response. She slapped him, and Victoria snickered.

"I suppose you didn't deserve that one, either?" She commented.

"No, that one I deserved." Jack rubbed his face.

"You stole my boat!" Anamaria snapped.

"Actually-" AnaMaria doesn't give him a chance to finish, instead slapping him again, even harder this time, this time more than just Victoria chuckled. "Borrowed! Borrowed without permission, but with every intention of bringing it back." He added hastily.

"But you didn't!" She glared at him.

"You'll get another one!" He said, and she glared at him.

"I will." She threatened.

"A better one." Victoria submitted.

"A better one!" Jack agreed, and Victoria pointed to the Interceptor.

"That one." Jack whirled on her, eyes wide.

"What one?" Victoria shoots him a look, they all turn and look at the Interceptor. Jack turns back to her.

"THAT one?!" He says incredulously, before considering it, realizing it's a good plan, and flashed a smile. "Aye, that one! What say you?" AnaMaria and the other sailors nod in agreement.

"Aye!" They all shout.

"Anchors Aweigh!" Cotton's parrot squawked.

"No, no, no, no." Gibbs muttered, shooting a look at Jack. "It's frightful bad luck to bring a woman aboard, sir." He throws a look at Victoria. "Much less two." Jack looked at Gibbs and sighed.

"It'll be far worse not to have them." He said briskly.

\- Night, HMS Interceptor -

Victoria gripped the rails of the Interceptor, desperate to hand on as the ship rocked in the rough waves. Heavy rain pounded her face and soaked her to the bone. She could barely see anything save for the flashes of lightening that appeared, illuminating everything for mere seconds, before plunging the world into darkness.

The crew may have been practiced sailors, but it still took everything they had to keep the ship afloat. Jack was at the helm and Victoria managed to see him looking at that blasted compass of his.

"How can we sail to an island that nobody can find with a compass that doesn't work?!" Victoria shouted at Gibbs, who looked at her general direction, shrugging.

"Aye, the compass doesn't point north! But we're not trying to find north, are we?" He shouted, grinning slightly. She turned back to Jack, who was struggling to keep their coarse steady. The ship tilted again, and he almost let go of the wheel, the wood slippery in his grasp. Gibbs climbed the tilted deck toward him, struggling to keep steady himself.

"We should drop canvas, sir!" He shouted, and Jack shook his head, flashing his old friend a wild smile.

"She can hold a bit longer!" The wind picked up even more and Jack laughed in excitement.

"What's in your head that puts you in such a fine mood, Captain?" Gibbs questioned, the wind almost drowning his voice.

"We're catching up!" Jack grinned, he looked back to sea, enjoying himself in the wild storm. He could feel it in his rain soaked bones. Something good was on the horizon, and not just the end of the storm.


	10. Chapter 9

" _What's in your head that puts you in such a fine mood, Captain?" Gibbs questioned, the wind almost drowning his voice._

" _We're catching up!" Jack grinned, he looked back to sea, enjoying himself in the wild storm. He could feel it in his rain soaked bones. Something good was on the horizon, and not just the end of the storm._

~- Day, Captain's Cabin, The Black Pearl -~

Roxanne let her mind wander as she listened to the rain pound the deck above. She liked rain, the way it felt on her skin. It didn't itch like it did when she bathed or was in shallow water, like she need to scratch her skin off..

It felt soothing to her. So when it stopped she felt rather disappointed. Elizabeth moved to the stern windows, looking out at the rolling sea below, her face displaying an array of emotions. They looked up at the sound of someone shouting, and Roxanne stood, trying to get a better listen at what their saying...

High on the main mast, Twigg cupped his hands to his face and called down:

"Isla de Muerta! Isla de Muerta, off the port bow!" Twigg shouted. Barbossa moved to the rail, a grim smile on his face as the storm clouds broke, and on the horizon a dark, ominous shape: Isla de Muerta. Cliffs and sharp rocks jutted out from the black island. The only sound around the island was the groaning, haunting wind and the sound of the slate grey sea lapping against the wrecked ships and rocks. Jacoby approached the brooding captain hesitantly.

"Orders, Captain?" He asked.

"Bring her in, not too close. I won't brave the reef, not until high tide. We lay anchor before dark." Barbossa instructed, not tearing his eyes from the island. Jacoby nodded, and hurriedly backed away. Barbossa continued to watch the island as if it would disappear from his sight.

"... That is, if it first doesn't sink back down to hell from where it came."

\- Day, The Black Pearl, Island Bay -

"Elizabeth… That is one of the stupidest idea' I've ever heard." Roxanne snapped at the older woman, who rolled her eyes.

"It's a perfectly good plan and you know it." Roxanne shook her head in exasperation.

"I refuse to use my voice like that. What if I eat someone?" Roxanne challenged.

"I highly doubt you'll eat someone." She scoffed. "Look, all you have to do is sing a little when we get out there, we make it to an escape boat, and we escape."

"Yeah but what about after all that?" Roxanne crossed her arms, a worried look still on her face. Elizabeth paused, and sighed.

"You have a point there Roxy… But I still don't like being stuck here, able to do nothing." The blonde moved to the window, and Roxanne sat down next to her.

"Neither do I, but how about we talk about something else?" Elizabeth looked up at her warily, before conceding with a nod.

"So what are we to talk about?" She asked, and Roxanne gave a dismissive shrug.

"Hmm… How obvious you are with Victoria." Elizabeth made a noise, and Roxanne giggled.

"I am not obvious!" Elizabeth huffed. "I am not that obvious… Am I?" And Roxanne shook her head, smiling.

"Oh a blind man could see it Lizzie." She joked. "But what I don't understand is why neither of you act on it." Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably.

"Well… I don't know either actually. But I'm not very good at that kind of thing."

"So, you would rather Vicky made the first move." Elizabeth nodded. "Makes sense I suppose, you know how she is, all confident and stuff."

"You're confident to." Elizabeth chimed in. "You radiate confidence, you call attention to yourself with your presence." Elizabeth waved her hands around.

"No, that's all the mermaid charm I'm afraid. I just know how to use it properly." Roxanne chuckled. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, and looked out the window.

"Whatever you say Roxanne." And they fell into a comfortable silence. A moment later, they turned to the door at the sound of the latch. Two of the pirates stepped in, Koehler and Twigg, now stood in the doorway holding rope; Pintel and Ragetti beside them.

"Time to go, poppets." Pintel spoke, holding the door for them. Roxanne got up first, quickly followed by Elizabeth as they made their way onto the top deck. While the long boat was being prepared, Twigg bound Roxanne and Elizabeth's hands in front of them, and Barbossa held out the Medallion, draping it around Roxanne's neck. The cold metal making her shudder.

Roxanne and Elizabeth were moved to sit in the prow of a longboat as it was lowered carefully into the water. As they rowed on, several others followed. Roxanne was sitting up perfectly straight, already feeling completely on edge. Elizabeth placed a comforting hand on her, making Roxanne jump, but she smiled weakly.

As they went deeper into the fog, Roxanne lost sight of the other long boats, which had been laden with gleaming amounts of treasure. Elizabeth gave her a gentle nudge, calling back the mermaid's attention. Roxanne looked to where Elizabeth was looking, and her mouth opened slightly at the dark sea cave opening, and as they entered, they were swallowed by darkness.

\- Day, Main Deck, HMS Interceptor -

Victoria could feel the crew tensing as the Interceptor glided through the fog. She herself was becoming tense, the hair on her arms and neck rising as a dark, upright shape emerged from the fog. A feeling of dread emerged as they got closer, and it turned out to be the wreckage of a ship dashed on the reefs. Victoria shuddered, moving away from the edge of the railing.

More wreckages emerged, some were singed from fire, or had the occasional skeleton showing from somewhere. One memorable one had several skeletons pierced on the sharpened bowsprit.

"Dead men tell no tales!" Cotton's Parrot squawked, causing Victoria and several others to jump in surprise. Victoria turned, glaring at the bird, which was perched on the railing next to her.

"Puts in a chill in the bones." Gibbs shuddered. "How many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage." Victoria nodded in agreement, she was liking this place less and less as they moved past the graveyard. A loud scraping sound made everyone jump, and they looked over the edge as the mast of a sunken ship grazed the hull of the Interceptor.

Jack, who was at the wheel, checked the compass, and made a slight correction before closing it with a snap to concentrate on navigating the graveyard. Victoria watched Jack speculatively, before turning to Gibbs.

"How is it that Jack came by that compass?" She asked, and Gibbs gave her a reminiscent look.

"Not a lot's known about Jack Sparrow 'fore he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of Isla de Muerta." He began. "That was before I'd met him, back when he was captain of the Black Pearl."

"What?" She glanced back at Jack suspiciously with narrowed eyes. "He failed to mention that." Gibbs took a swig from his flask.

"Well, he plays things close to the vest now. And a hard learned lesson it was. See three days out on the venture the first mate comes to him and says everything's an equal share. That should mean the location of the treasure, too. So, Jack gives up the bearings." He shook his head, sighing. "That night, there was mutiny." Gibbs' voice is a whisper, now, causing Victoria to lean in closer. "They marooned Jack on an island, and left him to die. But not before he'd gone mad with the heat."

"Ahh. So that's the reason for all the..." Victoria made a sporadic hand gesture, and Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

"Reason's got nothing to do with it." He stood up straighter, taking on a scholarly tone. "Now, Victoria, when a pirate's marooned, he's given a pistol with a single shot. One shot, well that won't do much good hunting, or to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starving belly and thirst… That pistol start to look real friendly." Gibbs mimed helpfully: Gun to the head, pull the trigger. "But Jack, he escaped the island. And he still has that single shot. Oh, but he won't use it though, save on one man. His mutinous first mate–"

"Barbossa." Victoria said, coming to a realization.

"Aye." Gibbs nodded.

"How did Jack get off the island?" She asked.

"Well, I'll tell ya. He waded out into the shallows and he waited there, three days and three nights, 'til all manner of sea creatures 'came acclimated to his presence." He made a sort of sweeping gesture with his hands. "Then on the fourth morning he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, lashed 'em together and made a raft." Victoria stared at him, and Gibbs stared back.

"He roped a couple of sea turtles." She said slowly, trying to understand what she just heard.

"Aye. Sea turtles." Victoria felt disbelief at this story, not buying it for a moment. There were so many problems with it. Well, the mutiny bit and being marooned she could believe. But _sea turtles_? She could be naïve, but she wasn't stupid.

"What did he use for rope?" Gibbs started to answer, but stopped. Victoria shook her head in disbelief.

"Human hair." They jumped as they turned to Jack. He gave them a suave smile. "From my back." Gibbs knew that was a perfectly logical answer, but Victoria still didn't buying it. Jack held her suspicious gaze with a poker face, before turning to the crew and barking out:

"Let go of the anchor!"

"Let go of the anchor, Aye!" One shouted back.

"Young Miss Turner and I are to go ashore." He said to Gibbs, who stepped closer.

"Cap'n! What if the worst should happen?" Gibbs asked worriedly.

"Keep to the Code."

"Aye, the code." Gibbs nodded, and they part with Victoria watching Jack speculatively.

They were lowered silently in a longboat before moving closer to the Black Pearl, cloth tied around the ores to quiet them. Jack was looking through a spyglass, watching the Black Pearl as it lied at anchor. Mostly empty, save for a few pirates on board.

"Is she there?" Victoria asked, gripping the side of the boat. Jack lowered the spyglass.

"No." Jack continued to gaze at the ship. Victoria looked from him to the Pearl, then back to Jack, she's putting the pieces together and doesn't like the picture she seeing.

"Then… Where is she?" Jack closed his telescope, and sighed.

"It's begun."


	11. Chapter 10

" _Is she there?" Victoria asked, gripping the side of the boat. Jack lowered the spyglass._

" _No." Jack continued to gaze at the ship. Victoria looked from him to the Pearl, then back to Jack, she's putting the pieces together and doesn't like the picture she seeing._

" _Then… Where is she?" Jack closed his telescope, and sighed._

" _It's begun."_

~- Night, The caves, Isla de Muerte -~

Elizabeth ducked as they walked under a stalactite, Roxanne following closely behind her. Elizabeth could barely see, save for the dim light ahead. Roxanne urged her forward, and they emerged in a cavern illuminated by flickering torchlight.

Elizabeth held her breath as they looked at the treasure of Isla de Muerta: overflowing chests of coins, gold and silver ingots, jewelry, objets d'art, jade and ivory, brightly colored silks, furniture, jewels and pearls; mirrors and swords -anything and everything of value that might be carried by ship, was there.

"The curse drove you to gather this?" Elizabeth asked while Roxanne admired herself in a jewel-encrusted mirror before being pushed along by the pirates, much to her annoyance.

"Aye. And not a bit of it any use to us, only hoarded. But it will drive us no longer." Barbossa grinned viciously. Roxanne hummed in understanding, and looked around. Her gaze fell on the center of the cavern where a hole in the ceiling let in a column of light which illuminated an Aztec styled stone chest. Koehler gave her a shove in the back, making her stumble forward.

"Move." He growled, and they continued. As they moved off, Pintel and Ragetti hauling a large hope chest between them.

"Ten years of hoarding swag." Pintel said to Ragetti, who looked way to excited . "And now we finally get to spend it!" He grinned as they dump the chest, picking through it. Ragetti found a parasol, twirling it to his amusement.

"Once we're quit of the curse, we'll be rich men, 'n you can buy an eye what actually fits and's made of glass!" Ragetti appeared genuinely moved by what Pintel said, and he reached up to wipe a tear.

"This one does splinter something terrible..." Ragetti smiled.

"Stop rubbin' it!" Pintel said, sounding genuinely sympathetic. They look over to Bosun who was staring at the with a disapproving glare before moving away. Pintel glared at Ragetti, hitting him with his parasol.

\- Night, Lagoon, Isla de Muerte -

As Jack and Victoria rowed away from the Interceptor, and toward the rocky shore, the sound of a rushing waterfall grew louder, and louder. Victoria watched as the entrance to a cave appeared ahead of them, right at water level.

"What on earth… What is that?" Victoria frowned, not seeing a waterfall, but hearing it instead.

"Depends." Jack said as they continued to row towards it.

"On what?"

"On whether the stories are all true." He mused. "If they are, that's a waterfall that spills over at high tide, with a short drop to an underground lagoon. If not– " The longboat gave a slight lurch forward, and they moved faster towards the entrance. Victoria gripped the side of the boat till her knuckles were white.

"Well, too late." Jack smiled, and held onto his hat as the boat rushed forward, plunging into the darkness. As the longboat started falling forward, Victoria made a noise of surprise, and Jack grinned as the dropped over the side of a short waterfall.

"WOO!" He cheered, and Victoria stared at him like he was insane, which in her opinion, he probably was. Thankfully however, they landed safely in the most gorgeous lagoon either of them had seen, and started floating lazily toward a sandy shore.

"Well. Chalk one up for the stories." Jack grinned, and Victoria rolled her eyes. He leapt out of the longboat and into the water to pull the boat ashore while Victoria pulled the oars in. Victoria studied the cave, flowers grew wildly over lichon, and the crystal clear water reflected stunningly on the ceiling and walls. What ruined it however, was the skeleton, which was face-down and half buried in the sand, its rib cage partially stove in, a sword stuck in its back. It brought her back to her reality, and the mission they were on.

"What code is Gibbs to keep to, if the worst should happen?" She asked, hopping out of the longboat, and Jack glanced up at her.

"The Pirate's' Code. Any man who falls behind is left behind." Jack replied, circling the boat to make sure it was secure enough.

"No heroes amongst thieves, eh?" She noted, grinning nervously.

"You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates, you're well on your way to becoming one." He smirked at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga..." Something gold in the water caught Victoria's attention, and her eyes widened as she saw thousands of golden coins glittering in the water. "... And you're completely obsessed with treasure."

"That's not true." She snapped. "I am not obsessed with treasure." Victoria glared at him, and Jack shrugged.

"Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate." He smirked, and started down a sandy path that lead them to a cave opening which let them into a large cavern, which was almost completely filled with treasure, including several mountains of gold coins that reached the ceiling. Victoria stared around in wonder, before her eyes rested on the center, which was almost completely void of treasure.

A hole in the ceiling let in a column of moonlight, which illuminates a stone chest, and next to it, she spotted Elizabeth, her dirty blonde hair glittering in the moonlight, she looked gorgeous in Victoria's opinion. Then Roxanne was roughly shoved to her, which ruined the image.

"For ten years!" Barbossa stepped up to the platform. "We've been tested and tried and each man-jack of you here has proved his mettle a hundred times over, and a hundred times again!" Barbossa bellowed, gesturing to Roxanne.

"Oh no..." Victoria groaned.

"She didn't…" Jack muttered, things just got a bit more complicated.

"Here we stand before the cursed treasure of Cortez himself. Won by blood, it demands blood in return." Barossa grinned and some of the pirates voiced their approval: "Yeah! Aye!"

"Suffered I have!" Ragetti mourned out.

"Punished we were, the lot of us." Barbossa pounded his fist in hand. "Disproportionate to our crime!" A louder response: "Aye!" Barbossa kicked off the lid to the stone chest. Inside lay hundreds of gold coins, all identical to the medallion.

"Here 'tis, the cursed treasure of Cortés himself. Every last piece that went astray we have returned, save for this." Barbossa pointed to medallion around Roxanne's neck. They all cheered loudly.

Victoria scrambled for the cave opening, but Jack pulled her back.

"Jack!" She hissed at him, and he glared at her.

"Not yet!" He said, restraining her. Stones clattered down the embankment as she squirmed in his grasp. "We wait for the opportune moment." Jack snapped at her, Victoria huffed and stopped struggling. Jack let her go after a moment, and snuck away from the cavern, followed by a very angry Victoria.

"When's that then? When it's of greatest profit to you?" Victoria snapped when they reached the boats.

"May I ask you something?" Jack said, turning to her. Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms. "Have I ever given you reason not to trust me?" She paused, but said nothing. "Do us a favor, I know it's difficult for you but please, stay here… And try not to do anything… Stupid." He said, moving to the boats. She glared at him as he walked, and idea forming.

\- Night, Main Cavern, Caves, Isla de Muerta -

Barbossa picked up the stone knife, raising it up in the moonlight, his hand turning skeletal.

"Who among us has paid the blood sacrifice owed to the heathen gods?" He boomed.

"AYE!" The pirates thrust their hands into the air.

"And whose blood must yet be paid?" Barbossa grinned.

"HERS!" They all pointed to Roxanne, whose heart was racing in her chest. She had to think of something, her blood wouldn't work, and she didn't want to know what they would do when it didn't.

\- Night, Cave landing, Caves, Isla de Muerta -

Jack came back from the lagoon entrance frowning. He was sure he'd left Victoria right here. He groaned inwardly. Hoping she hadn't gone and done something stupid. Unfortunately for him, he didn't hear her sneaking up behind him, oar in hand.

THUNK!

Victoria brought the oar down on Jack's head, and he slumped to the ground. Victoria dropped the oar next to him, looking down at the unconscious pirate.

"Sorry Jack but I'm not going to be your leverage…" She slunk back into the main cavern, listening to the Pirates cheer on Barbossa's speech. She crouch behind a pile of treasure, watching in horror as Barbossa took her hand. Roxanne didn't even resist, just watching on in morbid curiosity. Barbossa raised the knife...

And then very carefully, daintily, used just the sharp tip of the knife to prick her finger. She frowned as one tiny red drop of blood appeared, and watched as it dripped down onto the gold pieces.

"That's it?" She asked, looking at her still bound hands.

"What did you expect?" Barbossa smirked. "We're all gentlemen here, right and proper." She frowned at this, and sighed.

"Well it's a bit anti-climactic." The pirates laughed, Barbossa took the medallion from around her neck, and shot a grin at Elizabeth, who was cringing.

"You know the first thing I'm going to do after the curse is lifted?" He grinned. "Eat a whole bushel of apples." Barbossa approached the chest, which shone in the beam of moonlight. "Begun by blood, the blood undone!" He held the medallion above the chest and dropped it into the chest. The pirates tensed, waiting, expectant. A long beat passed, and Roxanne began to feel her chest tighten, she had to think fast. The pirates looked at each other, then at themselves. Still nothing happened

"Did it work?" Koehler asked, breaking the tense silence.

"I don't feel no different." Ragetti looked at Pintel, who shook his head.

"How do we tell?" Barbossa frowned, feeling exasperated, he drew his pistol, and shot Pintel square in the chest, making everyone jump. Pintel looked down at his chest, where a hole was present... but didn't die.

"You're not dead." Koehler commented, and the air became panicky.

"No." Then Pintel realized what happened. "He shot me!" He glared up at Barbossa

"It didn't work!" Ragetti said in a panicked tone.

"The curse is still upon us!" Twigg mourned, Barbossa turned to Roxanne, who backed up warily.

"You. Maid. Your father. What was his name?!" Barbossa barked, grabbing her. "Was your father William Turner?!" Roxanne made a face, trying to pull off the nervous look before she answered:

"No." The pirates cried out in alarm. Barbossa was trying to gather himself, getting his rage under steely control.

"Where's his child?!" He snarled. "The child that sailed from England eight years ago, the child who is the real owner of that medallion, the child in whose veins flows the blood of William Turner?! Where?!" Barbossa bellowed, and slapped her, which sent her sprawling down to the water's edge behind them, unconscious. A few gold pieces falling next to her. Elizabeth hurried over to her, and started to try to wake her up.

"You two. You brought us the wrong person!" Bosun shouted at Pintel and Ragetti, who backed up

"You brought us the wrong person!" Jacoby snarled at Pintel.

"She had the medallion! She's the right age. She said her name was Turner!" Pintel said desperately.

"She said her name was Turner! You heard her!" Ragetti said, trying to defend his friend, he paused. "I think she lied to us." Twigg looked at Barbossa, glowering.

"You brought us here for nothing?" Barbossa whirled on him.

"I won't take questioning or second guesses, not from the likes of you, Mister Twigg." He growled.

"Who's to blame him?" Koehler interrupted. "Every decision you've made's led us from bad to worse!"

"It's you who sent Bootstrap to the depths!" Another pirate, Mallot shouted. As Elizabeth watched the pirates argue, she spotted the medallion, and grabbed it just as Roxanne started sitting up, clutching her head when a scabbard came down, right above them. Startled, Roxanne and Elizabeth look up at a smiling Victoria, who was standing at the top of a mound of coins, reaching down with the scabbard for them to grab onto. Elizabeth, grabbed the scabbard, and Victoria pulled her up while Roxanne tried steadying herself.

"If any coward here dare challenge me, let him speak! Any more talk, I'll chain ye to a cannon and send ye to the watery depths!" Barbossa bellowed, drawing his sword. Roxanne hastily grabbed the scabbard, sending a few coin down the mountain, drawing the the monkey's attention. He spotted Victoria and Roxanne, and started screeching, but the pirates ignored him, instead paying attention to Bosun who had drawn his sword, and was approaching Barbossa.

"And it's you who brought us here in the first place." He growled.

"I say we cut her throat and spill all her blood, just in case." Koehler suggested.

"Yeah!" The others shouted in agreement. Barbossa turned to the screeching monkey, and nearly throws his sword in anger. The two girls are gone,

The Monkey jumped and howled, pointing toward the trio as they disappeared out of the cavern. Barbossa looked at the chest, and blanches, seeing the medallion gone as well.

"The medallion! She's taken it! Get after her! You feckless pack of ingrates." The pirates scrambled out of the cavern and to the lagoon to launch the boats. They looked around for the oars.

"The oars've gone missing! Find'em!" Bosun ordered, and the pirates searched the cave, overturning chests and upsetting piles of treasure.

Jack, who'd been roused from his slumber, wandered out into the middle of this, dazed, and holding the oar Victoria had hit him with. He looked around without comprehension, almost smacking Ragetti in the head.

"You!" Jack looked behind him, then back at Ragetti. He pointed to himself in confusion, and then Pintel looked towards them.

"You're supposed to be dead!" Pintel growled, drawing the attention of the other pirates.

"Am I not?" Jack grinned dazedly. Pintel drew his pistol, so did the other pirates. Jack's eyes went wide, and he tried thinking to remember something.

"Perlerley... No, that's not it… Uh, Pereleyloo. Parlene. Parsnip. Parsley. Part... partner, partner..?" He frowned, that wasn't right.

"Parley?" Ragetti suggested.

"That's the one! Parley! Parley!" Jack grinned, and the pirates lowered their weapons, except Pintel, who really wanted to shoot him.

" 'Parley'! Damn to the depths whatever muttonhead thought up 'parley'!" He shouted, and Jack smiled.

"That would be the French."

\- time skip -

Jack stood before Barbossa, surrounded by pirates, with a wide smile still on his face. Barbossa, however, was not so amused.

"I'm inclined to kill you now, Jack Sparrow, without so much as a word, if you don't lose that grin from your face. And how the blazes did you get off that island?" Barbossa growled, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"When you marooned me on that Godforsaken spit of land, you forgot one very important thing, mate." He spread his arms. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Ah, well, I won't be making that mistake again." Barbossa laughed. "Gents, you all remember Captain Jack Sparrow!" They all nodded, grinning. "Kill him." Barbossa turned away. Pintel eagerly grabbed his pistol, and aimed it. When Jack's smile remained, Barbossa growled, ready to draw his sword.

"The woman's blood didn't work, did it?" Jack smirked, and Barbossa hesitated.

"Hold your fire." He ordered. Pintel face morphed into silent exasperation. _So close_. Barbossa glared at Jack, who was still smiling.

"I know whose blood you need, to end the curse."

"Say the name, or I slit your throat." Barbossa growled.

"No you won't." Barbossa clenched his jaw. He really hated this man…

"Allow me the humor of listening to your terms then."


	12. Chapter 11

" _Say the name, or I slit your throat." Barbossa growled._

" _No you won't." Barbossa clenched his jaw. He really hated this man…_

" _Allow me the humor of listening to your terms then."_

~- Dawn, Longboat, Isla de Muerta -~

As they rowed away from the creepy skull island in a long boat, Roxanne navigating while Elizabeth and Victoria moved the boat along. Elizabeth had been going on about their little kidnapping escapade, and what had happened after Victoria had escaped capture.

"Of course, I tried my best to negotiate peacefully- " Roxanne rolled her eyes. "How was I to know they weren't going to let us go." Elizabeth muttered the last bit to herself.

"But you managed to make them leave Port Royal alone." Victoria said, trying to soothe her.

"Yes I suppose I did, however, It was Roxanne who really managed to persuade them." Elizabeth mused, and Roxanne hummed.

"How? Did she use the glowy eyes?" Victoria asked curiously.

"I threatened to drop their medallion at the bottom of the harbor." Roxanne sighed, just as she spotted a ship looming in the distance. "Victoria… Friend or Foe?" Victoria got up to look at the ship.

"Friend." She confirmed after a moment, and then she sat back down to continue to row at a greater pace and with more determination. When they reached it, Victoria climbed up the ladder that had been thrown down, helping Elizabeth up after her.

"Not more pirates." Elizabeth groaned light-heartedly, but as she looked around, she was then greeted with a familiar face.

"Welcome aboard, Miss Elizabeth."

"Mr. Gibbs?" She said as Roxanne climbed up easily. When she steadied herself on the deck, she went into the slight sway with the ship. Many of the pirates glanced at her, before going back to work.

"Hey, Victoria… Where be Jack?" He asked the redhead in question. Roxanne made a face at this, Victoria hadn't mentioned anyone else...

"Jack? Jack Sparrow?" Roxanne said, remembering the irritating man. She glanced at Elizabeth, who shrugged.

"He fell behind." Victoria said, going over to rail of the quarter deck. Roxanne and Elizabeth followed after her, brimming with questions. Gibbs paused, but nodded to himself...

"Keep to the Code." He muttered.

"Weigh anchor and hoist the sails! Split-quick, you dibbis!" AnaMaria barked, and Gibbs looked at them and shaking his head in amusement.

"Four women on board? A man don't have to be superstitious to know that's trouble."

Victoria turned the medallion over in her hands. Running her fingers over the familiar grooves and rifts in the gold. Almost not paying attention to Elizabeth as she talked, shuddering when she described the way the captain and his men had become skeletons.

"I thought it was rather interesting really…" Roxanne mused, and Elizabeth looked her an incredulous expression. "What?" Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Only you would find something so… _Morbid_ , interesting."

"Why would my father send this to me?" Victoria frowned, drawing the other girls attentions.

"To keep it away from them?" Elizabeth suggested, and Roxanne nodded, looking contemplative.

"But, no pirate would sail to London, for fear of Execution Dock." She countered, and they continued to offer ideas while Victoria looked at the medallion with a mirthless smile.

"I thought I'd lost it the day they rescued me…" She looked at Elizabeth. "It was a gift from my father... He sent it to me... Why did you take it?"

"When we first pulled you aboard, and after you woke up the first time, I spotted the medallion and took it, thinking you were a pirate." Elizabeth looked slightly embarrassed by this. "You'd seemed like a decent enough person, and I didn't want you to be punished. It was a… Spur of the moment idea, and I've kept it ever since." She played with her fingers, finally going silent, her eyes focused on the wooden deck.

"It wasn't your blood they needed…" Victoria recalled. "It was my father's blood. My blood. The blood of a pirate." Elizabeth gently laid a hand on her arm, Victoria only clutched the medallion tighter "If I had known– "

"– Then we never would have met." Elizabeth cut her off, making Victoria pause. They held each other's gaze a moment. Roxanne shifted awkwardly, as she always did when they had moments like this… Elizabeth turned away first, leaning on the rail and staring into the nothingness. Victoria frowned, and went back to the medallion, her eyes tracing over every detail.

Roxanne sighed, and looked out to the sea, which still called her name on the wind. But she ignored that, instead focusing on the eerie shapes in the fog.

Her heart nearly stopping when she saw black sails.

\- Night, Captain's Cabin, The Black Pearl -

Barbossa sat at his table, twirling a blade and frowning.

"So you expect to leave me standing on some beach with nothing but a name and your word it's the one I need, and watch you sail away on my ship?" He said, raising an eyebrow at Jack, who was prowling the cabin, noting the sorry state of the fixtures with distaste.

"No. I expect to leave you standing on some beach with absolutely no name at all, watching me sail away on _my_ ship, and then I'll shout the name back to you. Savvy?" Jack clarified, and Barbossa rolled his eyes..

"But that still leaves us with the problem of me standing on some beach with naught but a name and your word it's the one I need." Barbossa continued as Jack took an apple from a bowl.

"Of the two of us I am the only one who hasn't committed mutiny... Therefore my word is the one we'll be trusting." Jack sat down, putting his feet on the table. "Although, I suppose I should be thanking you because in fact, if you hadn't betrayed me and left me to die, I would have an equal share in that curse same as you. Funny ol' world, innit?" Jack takes a big bite of the apple, and Barbossa g. glowered at him, eyes full of loathing. Jack paused, and offered the apple to Barbossa, who glared even harder. Jack shrugged, and took another bite.

Someone knocked on the door, and Bosun entered, looking excited.

"Captain, we're coming up on the Interceptor."

\- Dawn, Main Deck, The Black Pearl -

Barbossa stared at the horizon through his spyglass, trained eyes intent on his prey, the HMS Interceptor. However, this image was ruined by Jack appearing through the telescope lens, blocking the view of the desired prey.

"I'm having a thought here, Barbossa. What say we run up a flag of truce? I scurry over to the Interceptor and I negotiate the return of your medallion, eh? What say you to that?" Jack offered.

"No, you see, Jack." Barbossa sat up straighter. "That's exactly the attitude that lost you the Pearl. People are easier to search when they're dead." Barbossa growled, and turned to his men. "Lock him in the brig!" He barked. Barbossa grabbed the apple from Jack's hand as Bosun took him away. Barbossa took one look at the apple and with fury he threw it overboard.

\- Day, Main Deck, HMS Interceptor

Crewmen sped around quickly as Gibbs barked orders at them while looking anxiously at the demonic looking ship that was gaining quickly.

"Hands aloft to loose ta'gallants! With this wind dead astern, she'll carry every sail we've got!" He barked, while Elizabeth hurried toward astern where AnaMaria was at the wheel, keeping the ship in the wind.

"The interceptor is the fastest ship on the ocean. Surely we can out run them!" Elizabeth said, trying to sound hopeful, but AnaMaria shook her head.

"You can tell them that, after they've caught us." The woman said, looking grim. Roxanne frowned, turning towards them as Gibbs joined them.

"We're shallower on the draft, right?" The brunette asked, crossing the deck towards them.

"Aye." AnaMaria said slowly while the others watched the woman curiously.

"Well, then can't we lose them amongst those shoals?" Roxanne suggested, pointing to the islands on the horizon.

"We don't have to outrun 'em long, just long enough..." Gibbs grinned.

"Lighten the ship! Stem to stern!" AnaMaria barked, and the men started scrambling around.

"Anything we can afford to lose, see that it's lost!" Gibbs shouted, rushing to join the men. Roxanne turned to watch the The Black Pearl was quickly matching it, gaining on them quickly.

Victoria watched the Black Pearl with hawkeyes. She moved about the deck and through the bustling crew who threw everything they could find over board. Victoria looked up, and started climbing the on the rigging for a better vantage point, and she saw something that almost made her fall from the ropes in shock.

Victoria watched as hatches on the ship's black hull slid back, and then long oars extended out from each side. In unison they caught the water, and the ship continued forward at an ungodly pace.

She hopped down upon noticing that some of the crew were about to throw overboard a canon, but she stopped them, using her foot to keep it in place.

"We're going to need that." She pointed astern, and they watched in horror as the demon ship started getting closer.


	13. Chapter 12

_She hopped down upon noticing that some of the crew were about to throw overboard a canon, but she stopped them, using her foot to keep it in place._

" _We're going to need that." She pointed astern, and they watched in horror as the demon ship started getting closer._

~- Day, Main Deck, HMS Interceptor -~

Elizabeth gripped the rails of the Interceptor, her knuckles going white while she watched the pursuing ship draw closer.

"It was a good plan, up 'til now." AnaMaria sighed, drawing Elizabeth attention, a grim expression was on the woman's face. Victoria made her way to the wheel, looking more determined than Elizabeth had ever seen her.

"Gibbs! We have to make a stand. We must fight!" No one moved at this, and Victoria frowned. "Well? Load the guns!"

"With what?!" AnaMaria snapped, and everyone paused, realizing the cannonballs were among the first things over the side. Idiots.

"Anything. Everything!" Roxanne grinned, and hurried over to a cannon to stuff one of her shoes inside of the barrel. "Anything we have left." That spurred them into action, making them rush around, and they began to stuff anything they could find into the cannons.

"Load the guns! Case shot and langrage! Nails and crushed glass! With a will!" Gibbs shouted, joining the men. Victoria watched as they load anything and everything into the cannons: A rock, silverware, jugs, Gibbs' flask, and Roxanne stuffed another shoe into a cannon, before going back over to join them at the wheel with Gibbs following her.

"The Pearl's going to luff up on our port quarter! She'll rake us, without ever presenting a target!" Gibbs frowned, and that got them arguing about what to do, when Roxanne suggested something crazy.

"Why don't we lower the anchor on the starboard side!" She said, and the others stared at her.

"Roxanne… Sometimes I wonder what goes on in your head." Elizabeth sighed, remembering how the girl had shoved some perfectly fine shoes into a cannon. Roxanne shook her head vigorously.

"It's a good idea." Roxanne to Victoria for support, who merely shrugged. While Roxanne was often the rational one, she had her moments.

"It certainly has the element of surprise." Victoria sighed. "What the hell."

"You're daft, lady! You both are!" AnaMaria groaned, but Gibbs began to smile.

"Daft like Jack!" Gibbs grinned, and turned to the main deck. "LOWER THE STARBOARD ANCHOR!" Crewmen give him the same look Roxanne got. "Do it, you gobs! Or it's you we'll load into the cannons!" They moved to shove the anchor into the water, and it landed with a splash, the cable going taut after a moment. Roxanne turned to AnaMaria, who was still holding the wheel.

"Let go!" She urged, and AnaMaria released the wheel, and it starts to spin with a vengeance, and the Interceptor came around quickly, causing some to stumble or fall slightly, with the forward anchor acting as a pivot.

\- Day, Deck, The Black Pearl -

Barbossa frowned as he watched, and then he realised what was going on.

"They're clubhaulin'! Hard aport! Rack the starboard oars!" He bellowed to his men, who started moving round again to get the cannons prepped.

\- Day, Below Deck, Jack's cell, The Black Pearl -

Jack was tossed against the wall of his cell, startled from dozing off. He went to look through a peephole in the haul, and watched as the Interceptor turned.

He could hear the cannon doors swinging open, and then after a brief pause, All hell seemed to break loose as the two ships fired their ships all at once, however to his dismay, the Interceptor took far more damage than the Black Pearl...

However, his pity was gone when a shot crashed through the bring, and blasting the door.

"Stop blowing holes in my ship!" He shouted, before noticing a shoe was among the broken wood. He frowned, and went to pick it up, his boots splashing up the water that was starting to fill the hull...

Another black rocked the ship, and Jack sloshed around in the now knee-deep water as he made his way to Gibb's flask, and picked it up to a take a swig. He frowned, when he realized it was empty. He contemplated tossing it away, but then noticed a hole in the door.

He grinned as he pushed through, still holding onto the flask.

\- Day, Main Deck, HMS Interceptor -

Roxanne flinched as another blast nearly blasted out her sensitive hearing. On her right, Elizabeth was holding a musket, and on Roxanne's left, Victoria, AnaMaria, Gibbs and the rest of the crew. They were using the gunwales as cover from the shells that were blasting the Interceptor.

"We could use a few more ideas, lass!" Gibbs shouted to Roxanne,after firing his own musket again and ducking back down. Roxanne's mind raced to think of something, anything! But, she couldn't think of anything realistic. Where was her genius in her time of need?!

"Your turn!" Roxanne said frantically, and Gibbs swore under his breath.

"We need us a devil's dowry!" Gibbs said, and Roxanne rolled her eyes, flinching as Elizabeth fired off her musket again. Roxanne felt AnaMaria grab her, and she jumped, turning to look at the pirate.

"We'll give 'im her!" AnaMaria scowled.

"Only problem is, she's not what they're after!" Victoria butted in, her hand clutching around the medallion around her throat tightly. Roxanne looked at her thankfully.

\- Day, Gun Deck, The Black Pearl -

Pintel and Ragetti lugged a chain shot, two cannonballs attached via chain, towards a cannon. They grinned at each other as they loaded it.

"Strike your colors, you bloomin' cockroaches!" Barbossa bellowed to his crew. "Hands! Grapnels at the ready! Prepare to board!" Pintel sparked the cannon.

BOOM!

The chain shot flew across the gap between the two ships, and it smashed the main mast of the Interceptor. The crew cheered as the Interceptor's mast started to lean. The mast crashed down on the deck of the Black Pearl, right next to Barbossa.

"Pistols and cutlasses, men! Koehler, Twigg! To the powder magazine! And the rest of you, bring me that medallion!" Barbossa ordered as the Monkey scampered across on the fallen mast, now a bridge between the two ships. Pirates swarmed across, jumping from deck to deck and swinging from the rigging.

Jack moved through the pirates, who didn't seem to notice him. He jumped up to stand on a boom, watching for a rope. Luckily, one pirate missed his landing on the Interceptor, and was swinging back toward the Black Pearl. Jack eagerly caught the rope, and the pirate already on it continued swinging, now ropeless, and right into the deck of the Black Pearl.

"Thanks very much!" Jack called back to the poor man. Grinning, he swung out, looking for a safe place to land amongst the two dueling crews that were locked in battle on the decks of both ships. Then he spotted his landing.

Gibbs was facing a pirate bearing down on him. Jack took the pirate out as he swung through, causing him to fall over the side of the ship as Jack landed on the deck of the Interceptor.

"Jack!" Gibbs said in surprise, but Jack thrust the empty flask at Gibbs.

"Bloody empty!" Jack snapped, already on the move before Gibbs could reply. Gibbs shrugged, and went to rejoin the battle with vigor. As Jack scoured the ship, looking for Roxanne, when he spotted her. Quickly dodging a sword, and shoving a man overboard. Jack quickly caught the arm of a pirate about to strike her with a sword. The two turned to him as he smirked.

"That's not very nice!" He tutted, and Roxanne took the chance to strike the pirate with the but of a musket. While she didn't enjoy the noise it made, she was quite effective at clubbing people with it, proved by how she sent him over the rail. Jack grabbed her by the shoulders, startling her slightly.

"Where's the medallion?" He asked, and she frowned.

"Last I saw, Victoria had it." She said, and Jack nodded.

"Ah! And where's dear Victoria?" Roxanne froze, and started looking around frantically. Just as she saw the red-headed woman kick someone off the rigging.

"There!" She pointed, and the pair watched as the Monkey snuck up from behind her, and it snatched the medallion from her neck, and bolted away. Victoria gave an angered shout, and she lunged for it, just barely missing. Victoria chased after the Monkey, followed by Jack, who'd given his own chase after realising what'd happened. Roxanne shrugged, and went back to clubbing people with her musket.

\- Day, Deck, HMS Interceptor -

A pirate had slammed the hit of his sword against the back of Roxanne's head, making her drop the musket and stumble. Her ears were ringing and there were spots in her eyes and everything was a bit blurry. As Roxanne looked around, feeling dazed, she could see several pirates throw Cotton to the deck, and then Anamaria lost her sword as another pirate cornered her.

And barley, she could make out Gibbs signaling their surrender. The pirate who'd hilt slammed her dragged her over to where the rest of the crew was herded. Roxanne's vision was starting to clear up, and she saw a struggling Elizabeth focus.

But her attention was drawn by the Monkey as it dashed across the broken mast, the medallion glinting in his hand. A large monkey, Jack, she realised, scrambled across after it. The Monkey paused at the far end, allowing Jack to reach for the medallion.

But another hand grabbed it first.

Roxanne groaned mentally as she watched Barbossa study the medallion with a smug face.

"Why thank you, Jack!" Barbossa grinned.

"You're welcome." Jack straightened.

"Not you. We named the monkey 'Jack.' " Barbossa said, and the Monkey chittered gloatingly. Barbossa grinned as he raised the Medallion. "Gents, our hope is restored!"

Pity they didn't notice Victoria sneaking on deck.


	14. Chapter 13

" _Why thank you, Jack!" Barbossa grinned._

" _You're welcome." Jack straightened._

" _Not you. We named the monkey 'Jack.' " Barbossa snapped, and The Monkey chitters, gloating. Barbossa grinned as he raised the Medallion. "Gents, our hope is restored!"_

Pity they didn't notice Victoria sneaking on deck.

~- Day, Main Deck, The Black Pearl -~

Pintel eyed Jack's crew with a withering glare, his hand tight on his pistol, as Ragetti tied them up.

"Any of you so much as thinks the word 'Parley' I'll have your guts for garters." Pintel growled, and no one said a word. Victoria had hidden easily behind a few boxes and barrels. Watching as Barbossa held the medallion in his hand, the gold glinting menacingly in the light.

BOOM!

Victoria jumped, almost giving away her hiding spot. She watched in horror as their last chance of real escape went up in flames. Elizabeth, she saw, had managed to get free briefly, but Barbossa caught her wrist. Victoria had to suppress a growl.

"Welcome back, ladies." His smile made her shudder. "Last time you were on board, you played me right clever, make pretending and all." This Victoria could tell was directed at Roxanne. " I hope your stay this time is more pleasant ladies." He chuckled, and turned to his men. "Boys, show'em some hospitality!" He shoved them to the pirates, who hooted their approval. Victoria couldn't take it anymore. She lept up from her spot and onto the rigging.

"Barbossa!" She shouted, and everyone turned to look up at Victoria as she steadied herself on the rigging, and a pistol pointed at Barbossa.

"They go free!" She demanded, trying to sound as threatening as possible. Elizabeth stared up at her in awe, even with her hair a mess and a sleeve off her shoulder, she was still beautiful.

Roxanne, and most others wore a look of confusion, but Roxanne's was a more exaggerated 'what-the-fuck' look instead. Jack, however, was clearly annoyed and frustrated, but what did she care? She had more important things right now. Like getting everyone out of this alive. Somehow...

"What's in your head, lass?" Barbossa questioned, a hand on his cutlass, and an amused grin on his face.

A quiet "Sometimes I wonder that as well." Was heard from Roxanne, but Victoria ignored her.

"They. Go. Free." She growled.

"You've only got one shot, and we can't die." Barbossa chuckled. Victoria paused, before she got an idea. A crazy idea. A crazy one by even her standards. Her girls would be furious with her when this was all over.

"You can't. I can." Victoria moved the muzzle of her pistol under her chin.

"Victoria, do anything stupid! Well, nothing more stupid than you already have! And for the love of everything under the sun don't say anything stupid!" Jack shouted, but wasn't deterred, even by Elizabeth and Roxanne's distraught faces.

"Who are you?" Barbossa frowned.

"No one. She's no one." Jack hastily explained, but Barbossa just ignores him. "A distant cousin of my aunt's nephew twice removed. Lovely singing voice, though. Soprano." Jack was rambling now.

"My name is Victoria Turner, the daughter of Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins. You need my blood. And on my word I will pull this trigger, and sink all the way down to Davy Jones' Locker!" Victoria snapped, effectively silencing Jack. Barbossa glowered at Jack, who shook his head in frustration. He couldn't catch a break could he?

"She's a spitting image of ol' Bootstrap Bill come back to haunt us!" Ragetti cried out.

"Yeah, except she's a girl. And has red hair." Pintel interjected.

"Name your terms, Miss Turner." Barbossa said, calling her bluff with a smirk.

"Elizabeth and Roxanne go free!"

"Yes, we know that one. Anything else?" Victoria hadn't thought that far ahead. She was blanking when she noticed Jack waving at her slightly. Ah.

"And Jack. And the crew. Free and unharmed." Barbossa waved his hand dismissively. "If you agree… Then I'll remain with you." Jack's shoulder's slumped down slightly, she'd forgotten a few very important things. Barbossa smiled, and stepped toward Victoria.

"Agreed. You have my word, as a gentleman of fortune of course..." Barbossa's smile didn't reassure any of them.


	15. Chapter 14

" _And Jack. And the crew. Free and unharmed." Barbossa waved his hand dismissively. "If you agree… Then I'll remain with you." Jack's shoulder's slumped down slightly, she'd forgotten a few very important things. Barbossa smiled, and stepped toward Victoria._

" _Agreed. You have my word, as a gentleman of fortune of course..." Barbossa's smile didn't reassure any of them._

~- Day, Main Deck, The Black Pearl -~

Roxanne was prodded toward the edge of the plank by the sharp point of sword wielded by Bosun. Despite the situation, her instinct was to listen to call of the sea and dive off. But, part of her wanted to stay on board, where her adopted family was trapped.

Behind her, Jack was much less eager to dive off. Partially because of the prospect of losing his ship once again, and the more dangerous aspect, being stuck in the waters with a fish demon who would possibly eat them if she got hungry enough.

Victoria managed to spit out the gag they'd stuffed in her mouth, she looked downright feral as her friends, and Jack, were pushed towards certain doom and death.

"Barbossa, you lying bastard! You swore they'd go free!" She snarled, Barbossa turned to her, glowering.

"Don't dare impugn me honor, lass!" He snapped, and then smirked. "I agreed they'd go free, but it was you who failed to specify when nor where!" He and several other pirates laughed. And the pirate holding onto Victoria placed the gag back across her mouth once more. Barbossa turned back to Elizabeth, once again his gentlemanly self.

"Though it does seem a shame to lose something so fine, don't it lads?" Roxanne raised an eyebrow, tempted to scoff. "So I'll be having that dress back before you go." Elizabeth's mouth opened slightly, red tinging her cheeks. But Roxanne merely rolled her eyes. If they wanted the dress that badly… She smirked as she ripped the bust in half, slipping out of the ruined dress and leaving herself in her silk slip.

"You wanted it back didn't you? You never said in what condition." She taunted, at the gaping pirates. She tossed the black dress back to Barbossa, who glared at her. "Pity because it looked rather nice on me, don't you agree?" She batted her eyelashes at Bosun, who looked between nodding in agreement and severely uncomfortable.

She turned to the edge of the plank, head held high as she gave Victoria one last look before jumping off and into the water, which felt amazing on her skin. The sea water rushing through her veins as her legs joined into a more natural feeling light purple tail like that of a serpents.

Above, the pirates stared as the woman disappeared below the waves. Jack watched with more unease then the others, but he jolted back to reality when he's lifted up onto the end of the plank. He looked back to Barbossa, casting him an anxious smile.

"I really rather hoped we were past all this." Barbossa rolled his eyes, and stepped up onto the plank beside him, throwing an arm around Jack's shoulders.

"Jack, Jack... Did ya not notice? That be the same little island that we made you Governor of on our last little trip." Barbossa grinned, and Jack nodded grimly.

"I did notice."

"Perhaps you'll be able to conjure another miraculous escape. But I doubt it." Barbossa drew his sword. "Off you go." Jack paused, trying to think of a last minute way to escape. Roxanne still hadn't resurfaced and he really didn't want to get in the water with the evil, if seemingly polite, fish demon.

"Last time you left me a pistol, with one shot." Jack hastily spoke, trying to buy himself time.

"By the powers, you're right. Where be Jack's pistol? Bring it forward." Barbossa ordered, and a pirate handed Jack's pistol to Barbossa.

"Seeing as there's three of us, a gentleman would give us a three." Jack comments, a hopeful glint in his eyes. Barbossa growled, and shook his head.

"It'll be one pistol, as before, and you can be the gentleman, an' shoot one of the ladies, and let you and the other lass starve to death!" Barbossa laughed. "That is, presuming you're not all drowned." He mused, and tossed the pistol high over Jack's head. Jack's eyes widened as it landed in the sea with a resounding splash. He scrambled to dive after it, leaving Elizabeth as last in line.

"The lady's next. But first, I'll be wanting that dress back, if you please. Not ripped in half like your friend did." Barbossa held his hand out for it as Elizabeth hesitated... She let out a resigned sigh, and then stripped out of the red dress, blushing as she threw it at him.

"Here! It will go well with your black heart!" Elizabeth growled, and Barbossa chuckled before gesturing to the plank. But Elizabeth didn't move. "I will not walk into the 'll have to throw me in!" He raised an eyebrow, but nodded. Victoria watched on in pity, but desperately trying to catch one last look at her love. Who she would most likely never see again.

"Very well then lass. Have at her, lads!" The pirates rushed to to comply. They eagerly lifted her up, and they threw her over the rail. Victoria started thrashing again as Elizabeth screamed as she fell, but one of the pirates whacked her with the butt of a musket, making her slump in unconsciousness.

Elizabeth landed in the freezing ocean in a splash of foam and bubbles, which almost completely disoriented her. In the corner of her eye, she can see a dark shape. A shark? Some kind of sea serpent?

But she was distracted by Jack, whose thrashing below her, sinking and struggling in his bonds. She desperately tried to swim down, but swimming was never her strong suit. He started thrashing more frantically, gesturing with his head behind her.

Now, Elizabeth knew Roxanne was a mermaid, or siren, or whatever she called herself. But she'd never seen how Roxanne looked when completely underwater. Elizabeth's jaw dropped, and a flood of water rushes into her mouth, gagging her. Roxanne quickly placed a hand over her mouth, stopping the oxygen from escaping, and more water from entering her mouth.

Roxanne's tail was long serpentine with semi-translucent fins at the end. Her scales glinted under the water like pale purple gems. Her skin was softer looking, and her hair floated around her like a dark crown. Her eyes had changed from a soft brown to a rich golden color, like that of amber.

Roxanne made several shrill noises and clicking sounds. Elizabeth didn't know what she was saying, but she was quickly loosing oxygen. So, she began thrashing frantically, desperate for oxygen. Roxanne made a noise, and removed her hand from Elizabeth's mouth, and allowed her to rise up to the surface.

Elizabeth gasped for air when she breached the water. She watched as the Black Pearl sailing off, she felt a wave of defeat roll over her. She was tempted to start swimming towards the ship, but she had bigger things to worry about. Like surviving long enough to for a way to rescue Victoria. Then after a moment, a ruffled looking Jack appeared with Roxanne, who looked extremely annoyed and flustered. He held up what he went after: his pistol, sword, and his belt of course.

"You went back for that?!" Elizabeth spluttered, and he nodded. She sighed, and looked toward land. "We need to head to the reef."

"Oh yes, let's all head to the shark please!" Roxanne snapped, throwing her arms up in frustration. What had happened down there to make her this upset? And Jack hesitantly tredded away from her.

"What?" Roxanne growled as they stared at her. Her teeth had elongated into fangs, so she gave off a somewhat terrifying image. She paused, and took a deep breath. "Ah… Yes, well, we can talk about it later… Elizabeth's probably right, we need to get to land. Well, you do at least, me not so much." She took their hands and started to swim towards the island, occasionally stopping to let them breath again.

\- Day, Beach, Black Sam's Spit -

When they made it to the beach, Roxanne waited in the shallow water while Jack and Elizabeth clambered onto the beach, exhausted.

Jack looked back out to the sea, watching as the the Black Pearl's started disappearing back into the fog that followed it.

"That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship…" He said bitterly, and Roxanne glanced at him, and started to crawl onto the beach, her tail still submerged in the surf.

"So… How are we going to get off this island?" Elizabeth asked, and they looked to Jack, who shrugged. Then Elizabeth turned to Roxanne. "Well?"

"I honestly haven't the slightest idea…" Roxanne sighed, slumping onto the sand, this is the longest she's ever been in this form, and it was quite exhausting. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, and stormed off, leaving Jack and Roxanne on the beach.

"So… Any idea where we are?" She asked, and he shrugged, eyeing her warily. Their little, argument under the water had made things complicated for him. Sure, she'd saved him from drowning, but she'd still kissed him to do it.

He sat down a way a way's from her, and took out his gun. She frowned, the first thought in her head that he's going to shoot her, when she realizes the powder's probably wet. Her suspicions are confirmed when he started dismantling it. She relaxed a bit, but their was still tension between them.

"Sorry." Jack looked up, confused. "About… Earlier." He nodded.

"All is forgiven lass… But you should work on it. Less teeth next time." He said with a wink, and she rolled her eyes, her cheeks tinging pink.

"I hadn't expected it to actually work, like it was just another legend in a story I read." He made a face, and her face heated up even more. "It's not like I know everything about being a mermaid! Hell I can barely remember what happened before me and Victoria started living with Elizabeth and her father."

"That's not exactly comforting."

"It wasn't meant to be." Roxanne huffed, and Jack chuckled as he continued to work on the pistol.


	16. Chapter 15

" _That's not exactly comforting."_

" _It wasn't meant to be." Roxanne huffed, and Jack chuckled as he continued to work on the pistol._

~- Day, Beach, Black Sam's Spit -~

Elizabeth trudged down the surf line, thinking of all the ways she could get off this island, but couldn't find any in way to get off of the island. Not without Jack or Roxanne's help… So she kept walking until she meet up her own footprints going away from her.

Though some are scraped away by a large path, which eventually turned to a mess of feet. Her gazes followed a trail of footprints leading to where Roxanne, now a human, was sleeping in the shade wearing her slip.

"It's really not all that big, is it?" She looked at Jack, who was reclined on the beach, fiddling around with his newly reassembled pistol.

"If you're going to shoot me, please do so without delay." She commented, and he looked up, frowning at her.

"Is there a problem between us, Miss Swann?"

"You were going to tell Barbossa about Victoria in exchange for a ship!" She crossed her arms while Jack rolled his eyes.

"We could use a ship. But the fact is, I was going to _NOT_ tell Barbossa about bloody Victoria in exchange for a ship, because as long as he didn't know about bloody Victoria, I had something to bargain with – which now no one has, thanks to stupid bloody Victoria." He stood up in frustration.

"Oh…" She seemed to deflate at that.

"Oh." With one look at the pistol, Jack headed inland, and Elizabeth followed.

"She still risked his life to save ours–"

"Ha!" Jack laughed. "She risked her life to save you!" He called back as they went through the grove of trees, past Roxanne, who awoke at the the noise, her eyes opened, and she watched them walk past her curiously. Roxanne stood, following them while wondering silently if they could survive on this island without the pair of them killing each other.

"So we have to do something to rescue her!" Elizabeth snapped. Jack turned, waving her off.

"Off you go, then. Let me know how that turns out." He turned to stalk back into the undergrowth. Elizabeth followed angrily with Roxanne following eagerly, this was better than those plays Uncle Weatherby had taken them to when they were younger!

"But you were marooned on this island before weren't you? So we can escape in the same way you did then!" Jack whirled to face her, causing Elizabeth to stop, and made Roxanne almost bump into her.

"To what point and purpose, young missy? The Black Pearl is gone. And unless you have a rudder and a lot of sails hidden in that bodice..." He frowned. "Which is highly unlikely, young Miss Turner will be dead long before you can reach her." Jack turned, and started towards a tree. Using the tree as a starting point, he began pacing around the small clearing, looking for something on the ground. Roxanne stood next to Elizabeth, who was still fuming, and watched Jack curiously.

"But you're Captain Jack Sparrow! You vanished from under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Company! You sacked Nassau port without even firing a shot! Are you the pirate I've read about or not?" Elizabeth ranted, and Roxanne was about to say something when Jack starts jumping up and down a couple of times, puzzling the girls. He knelt down to the ground, and started digging for something.

"How did you escape last time?" Elizabeth huffed, crossing her arms again. Roxanne had a feeling they wouldn't like the answer.

"Last time…" He paused. "I was here a grand total of three days. Last time..." Jack heaved open the hidden door he uncovered, revealing a pit. Roxanne and Elizabeth leaned closer to look inside. Barrels and bottles lined the walls. They were all covered with dust and cobwebs, long abandoned. He suddenly looked crestfallen.

"...The rum runners who used this island as a cache came by, and I was able to barter passage off." He jumped into the pit and disappeared into the tunnel. "And from the looks of things, they've long been out of business." He came back into view carrying some of the bottles and makes his way out of the pit. Roxanne sneezed slightly from the dust he brought up, and moved away from the entrance.

"Probably have your bloody friend Commodore Norrington to thank for that." He threw the comment at Roxanne, who rolled her eyes, and followed him towards the beach, grumbling about how Norrington wasn't her friend.

"So that's it, then? That's the secret grand adventure of the infamous Jack Sparrow? You spent three days lying on the beach drinking rum?" Elizabeth called after him.

"Welcome to the Caribbean, love." He said, spreading his arms open to her. He sat down in the sand facing the ocean, and Roxanne joined him at the water's edge, and she looked back to Elizabeth, gesturing for her to join them.

"You should look at our contretemps this way: we've got shade trees, thank the Lord. We've got some food on the trees, thank the Lord again. And we've got rum, praise the Lord." Jack said, uncorking a bottle.

"We can stay alive a month, maybe more. Keep a weather eye open for passing ships, and our chances are fair." Roxanne reasoned. But she doesn't really believe that, she's just trying to stay positive, something she wasn't really good at, for them. If mostly Elizabeth.

"A month? Victoria doesn't have a month! We've got to do something to help her!" Elizabeth said desperately. Before Roxanne could say anything, Jack interrupted her.

"You're absolutely right." Jack tossed her a bottle, and handed one to Roxanne. "Here's luck to you, Victoria Turner!" He drinks, and defiantly returned Elizabeth's angry gaze. The angry woman grumbled and sat down next to Roxanne, who was studying her bottle contemplatively.

"Don't be thinking I'm happy about this, Elizabeth." Roxanne sighed. "But I see no use in wailing and gnashing my teeth over that which I can do nothing about." She said, looking to her friend.

"Not when you can drink instead, at least." Jack shrugged. Roxanne easily uncorked her rum, and sniffed it, curling her lip at the smell. "Try it. It goes down rough, but it goes down, and the second swig goes down easier." He commented, taking his own swig. Elizabeth frowned at her bottle. She glanced at Jack, then sang a verse softly:

"Drink up me hearties, yo ho..." She took a swig, and grimaced while Roxanne chuckled. Trying some herself, not enjoying it one bit, but at least Jack's right about the second swig.

"What? What was that?" Jack asked, and Roxanne smiled, nudging Elizabeth. "Something funny, Miss Swann? Do share."

"I haven't heard you sing that in forever." Roxanne mused.

"Nothing... it's nothing. Just... I'm reminded of a song I learned as a child. A song about pirates."

"I know a lot of songs about pirates, but none I'd teach a child. Let's hear it." Jack said, and Roxanne nodded eagerly.

"Oh, no... it's silly. Back in England we didn't know a thing about pirates, really. They seemed so romantic and daring…." Roxanne laughed at this, and took another swig. The taste not as disgusting this time. "That was before I met one, of course." Elizabeth shot a pointed look at Jack.

"Now I must hear this song. An authentic pirate song. Have at it." Jack said, and Elizabeth shook her head.

"No. I'd have to have a lot more to drink." Roxanne pouted at this.

"How much more?" Jack smiled, holding up his bottle of rum.

\- Night, Beach, Black Sam's Spit -

Jack and Elizabeth, with bottles in hand, were dancing around a roaring fire, drunk beyond logical reasoning. Roxanne, was a bit further away from the roaring bonfire, clapping along as they sang and laughed, equally drunk. Roxanne, even drunk, was hesitant to sing.

" _We're devils, we're black sheep,  
_ _we're really bad eggs. Drink up  
_ _me hearties, yo ho. Yo ho, yo ho,  
_ _a pirate's life for me!_ "

"I _LOVE_ this song. Really bad eggs!" Jack laughed, and stumbled before falling onto the beach next to Roxanne. Elizabeth plopped down on the other side of her laughing friend, giggling and out of breath.

"When I get the Pearl back, I'm going to teach it to the whole crew, and we'll sing it all the time!" He said, his arms going in a sweeping motion, and accidentally losing hold of his rum. They watched as the rum rolled away into the surf, he soon scrambled after it. He picked it up, and took a swig, quickly spitting it out, looking very distraught.

"I'll go get more." Elizabeth giggled, and stumbled off into the undergrowth. Roxanne handed Jack hers, still smiling.

"You'll be positively the most fearsome pirates in the Spanish Main." She said, leaning her head back.

"Not just the Spanish Main, love." He said, looking up to the sky. "The entire ocean... The entire world. Wherever we want to go, we go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails. That's what a ship needs... But what a ship is, what the Black Pearl really is... Is _freedom_." Roxanne laid her head on his shoulder, she took her rum back, and took another swig. "Do you know any songs?" He smiled, and she choked on her rum, before laughing slightly.

"You wouldn't want to hear me sing. Why would you even want to hear me sing... " She hesitated. "Besides, I haven't sung in years! Uncle Weatherby told me not to." She said, frowning.

"But he's not here now is he?" Jack mused back at her, and she bit her lip.

"True..." She looked around nervously. "But we can't tell anyone though. Specially Elizabeth. Promise?" She said, holding her pinky finger out, he grinned, and hooked them.

"Alright! Let's hear this song of yours. He said, sinking into the sand. She sat as straight as she could, and cleared her throat. He started drinking from the bottle as she began.

" _Upon one summer's morning  
_ _I carefully did stray  
_ _Down by the Walls of Wapping  
_ _Where I met a sailor gay_." She sang, Jack stopped drinking.

" _Conversing with a young lass  
_ _Who seem'd to be in pain,  
_ _Saying, William, when you go  
_ _I fear you'll ne'er return again_.

 _My heart is pierced by Cupid  
_ _I disdain all glittering gold  
_ _There is nothing can console me  
_ _But my jolly sailor bold_." She looked at Jack, his eyes were glazed over, and he looked to be in a trance. She stopped, frowning.

"Jack? You alright?" He gave her a lazy smile.

"Am I your jolly sailor bold?" He slurred in a dreamy voice.

"W-what?" Her mind not fully comprehending what he said. He draped a gentle arm over her shoulder.

"Am I your jolly sailor bold?" He asked again, leaning closer. Roxanne's face, already pink from the rum in her hand, darkened.

"I dunno, are you?" She giggled, finding new confidence in her after a swig of rum. She placed a hand on his cheek, and he nuzzled it affectionately. She brought him closer, looking directly in his eyes.

" _His hair it hangs in ringlets  
_ _His eyes as black as coal  
_ _My happiness attend him  
_ _Wherever he may go_." She sang, and he leaned closer.

"You certainly fit the description. Perhaps you are my jolly sailor bold..." He tilted his head to the side, and she could feel hot breath on her mouth. Roxanne smiled as he closed the distance. She parted the kiss, and licked her lips.

"I certainly wouldn't mind if you were." Jack grinned back at her, and took a long chug of the rum, and slowly fell back, laughing. She frowned, pouting slightly. She reached over his chest, and looked at the empty bottle with sleepy eyes.

"Damn…" She mumbled, and her eyes closed. "Jack, it must be really terrible for you to be trapped on this island." She hummed, and he looked at her, smiling slightly.

"Ah, yes… But the company is infinitely better than last time, and the scenery has definitely improved." She chuckled, nuzzling her head into his chest, falling asleep easily, him following shortly afterward.


	17. Chapter 16

" _Ah, yes… But the company is infinitely better than last time, and the scenery has definitely improved." She chuckled, nuzzling her head into his chest, falling asleep easily, him following shortly afterward._

~- Morning, Beach, Black Sam's Spit -~

It's well past morning when Jack awoke with a pounding headache and the smell of smoke on the wind. At first, he doesn't remember where he is when he looks up to the perfect blue sky, then, yesterday's events come rolling into his mind… One right after the over.

Things get a little blurry after he started drinking rum, but then the voice of angels shocks his mind, and he groaned to himself, placing a hand on his face as he remembers last night. What had he been thinking?! Letting a mermaid sing to him! Thank God, or whatever, whoever, was up there that turned the world round, she hadn't eaten him. That would've just been awful.

The smell of smoke started getting stronger, and an explosion made him jump, startling Roxanne awake as she rolled onto the sand next to him. They both turned to the origin of the sound, and Roxanne's jaw dropped as she saw a massive pyre of trees and other things that had been thrown in.

Jack shot up, and ran over while Roxanne stayed back, somewhat terrified of the fire. She watched Elizabeth throw another keg into the fire, and Jack started to shout, in what she assumed was anguish, as it exploded and burned merrily.

Jack couldn't believe his eyes. The rum. The poor, defenseless rum that had gone to waste, all for some stupid pyre this insane woman had thought off! It was a massacre! A senseless act of violence and arson. Absolutely ridiculous in his opinion.

"No! Not good! Stop! Not good! What are you doing? You've burned all the food, the shade- the _rum_!" He sounded absolutely scandalized.

"Elizabeth! What in God's name are you doing!?" Roxanne cried out, looking rather distraught at her friend. Elizabeth ducked as there a small explosion is set off, and then continued on tossing in another barrel.

"Yes, the rum is gone." Elizabeth wiped her hands. A rum barrel in the fire explodes, making Roxanne back away even more. Roxanne gripped her skirt, and quickly ran from the fire, and over the dune, feeling panicked.

"Why's the rum gone?" Jack asked as they paid no mind to the mermaid.

" _One_ , because it is a vile drink that turns even the most respectable men into complete scoundrels. And two," Elizabeth pointed to the sky, smirking. "That signal is over a thousand feet high. The entire Royal Navy is out looking for us, do you really think that there's even the slightest chance that they won't see it?"

"But why's the rum gone?" He scowled, feeling ready to strangle her. "You– You burned up the island, for a one-time chance at being spotted...?"

"Exactly..." Elizabeth's voice trailed off as it hit her as to what she's done. But Elizabeth turns toward the sea none-the-less. "Just wait, Captain Sparrow. You give it one hour, maybe two, keep a 'weather eye open' and you will see white sails on that horizon!" She sat down, determined. Shielding her eyes, she scans the water, waiting, searching. Jack was speechless. He threw up his hands, and stalked up the sand dune, just to get away from her.

\- Day, Beach, Black Sam's Spit -

As Jack walked along a dune, he was muttering to himself.

" _No. I'd have to have a lot more to drink_." He imitated Elizabeth. "Well we don't have anything to drink now!" He shouted back at the mad woman, still scowling. When he made it to the crest of the dune, he spotted Roxanne standing at the edge of the water. He'd just been about to go down and join her, when he saw what she was staring at, and his jaw dropped.

Now that's just dumb luck, even by his standards.

Against the horizon line, he can see white sails glorious against turquoise waters, and the impressive beast that is the Dauntless. A longboat is headed toward them, and he groaned.

"There'll be no living after this."

\- Day, Main Deck, HMS Dauntless -

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!" Roxanne roared "HOW CAN WE JUST LEAVE VICTORIA WITH THEM?" Everyone watched as Roxanne ripped Governor Swann a new one, scandalized at what he proposed. Everyone could hear it, and no one's willing to try and calm down the raging woman. Not even Jack, who's sure he's faced more temperamental seas, but not this angry of a woman.

"But _you're_ safe now. And you said Victoria chose her fate! We will return to Port Royal immediately, not go gallivanting after pirates." Swann managed, trying to find courage.

"THEN WE CONDEMN HER TO DEATH! THE GIRL YOU LOOKED AFTER AND CARED FOR! SHE'S DONE NOTHING BUT BE HERSELF, SHE'S GIVEN YOU HER LOVE AND ADORATION, AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY HER?!" Swann's face became guilty, and he shifted uncomfortably. "EVEN JACK WAS BETTER ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO RESCUE HER!"

"Don't bring me into this!" Jack huffed, but was ignored.

"Victoria's fate is... Regrettable... But then, so is her decision to engage in piracy." He managed, and Roxanne growled at this. The men closest to her back away slowly, but then Elizabeth stepped in.

"To rescue _us_! To prevent anything from happening to _us_! Father, Victoria's practically my sister! Have you loved her less or treated her less than your own daughter?" Elizabeth's near tears, and Roxanne looked like she's going to set him on fire. No man anywhere would want to be in his position.

Commodore Norrington seemed to be re-considering just leaving her, while he had never been fond of Victoria, he would absolutely _loathe_ having Roxanne hate him, he would rather die.

"If I may be so bold as to inject my professional opinion." Jack said, drawing Commodore Norrington's attention. "...The Pearl was listing near to scuppers after the battle. It's very unlikely she'll be able to make good time. Think about it. The Black Pearl... The last _real_ pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate. How can you pass that up, right?" Jack grinned, and Commodore Norrington brushed him off in disgust.

"By remembering that I serve others, Mister Sparrow, not only myself." He scoffed, and Elizabeth turned on him with pleading eyes.

"Commodore, I beg you, please do this... for Roxanne at least. As a wedding gift." That takes everyone by surprise, and Roxanne whirled on her, catching Jack's eyes, whose equally surprised as anyone else… One million thoughts are running through her head, and she bit her bottom lip, trying to find the next words to say.

Norrington kept his eyes on Elizabeth, weighing her words.

"I have it in good faith that Roxanne has indeed thought of your proposal." She said, and Norrington's cheek muscles twitched and they all look to Roxanne, who straightened.

"Roxanne..." Governor Swann said warily, not wanting her wrath on him again. He knew what she was, and was worried of Norrington's reaction, but was nonetheless curious. "Have you accepted the Commodore's proposal?" She took a shaky breath, and walked towards the Commodore, standing before him.

"I have thought of it. I intend to accept, that is if he'll still have me." She stared into his eyes, seeming to search the depths of his soul. Jack grinned, the first to come out of this shock.

"A wedding! I love weddings! Drinks all around!" He laughed, and caught Norrington's look. "I know. "Clap him in irons", right?"

"Mister Sparrow. You will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide us with a bearing to Isla de Muerta. You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase 'silent as the grave.' Do I make myself clear?" Norrington snapped, glowering at the pirate, and Jack nodded.

"Inescapably clear." Jack replied, and Murtogg and Mullroy escorted Jack away.

"Commodore, I must question the wisdom of this." Swann asked the man in question as Roxanne and Elizabeth exchanged hushed whispers. Of what, he would love to know, but no one was privy to know.

"With all due respect, Governor..." Norrington paused. "Miss Turner is a subject of the British crown, and therefore under my protection." Governor Swann didn't like it, but he knew it's right, but guilt ate at him nonetheless.

"Rightly so." Swann nodded to the two women. "Take care of her." Norrington nodded as Swann walked away, and Norrington took a deep breath, turning to the pair, who've stopped talking, and are watching him like a hawk. He took a brave step towards Roxanne, holding out his arm.

"May I have a moment?" Roxanne gave him a wry smile, but took it nonetheless.

"Last time you asked me that, I fell off a fort and was rescued by a pirate." She chuckled as they walked to the rail. He nodded, not enjoying the remembrance of the memory. His sheer panic that had enveloped him...

"Roxanne..." Then something hit him, and he frowned. "I've never gotten your surname."

"Never had one." The answer shocked him slightly, and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "But I assume, I'll have one soon, yes?"

"Ah… Yes, but you see… I find myself... Worried that your answer was perhaps... Less than sincere." She tensed, and turned back to face the sea.

"I would not give my word lightly. You should know that…" A soft smile formed on her face.

"And I do, but is it wrong for me to wish it given unconditionally?" He said, and she frowned, looking at him earnestly.

"It was not a condition. It was a _request_. Albeit I was surprised as you when Elizabeth asked, as I had hoped I would've given you a proper answer when we got back to Port Royale. But, nonetheless, your answer would not have changed mine. You are a fine man, James. And I've known this for a while, but never found the occasion to tell you until you asked." Roxanne was lying through her teeth, making it all up on the spot. She was scarily good at it, as Victoria and Elizabeth had told her many times. But, that didn't mean she liked playing him like a fiddle.

For a brief moment, Norrington broke into a wide, boyish smile. Then, his military bearing reasserted itself, but only just.

"Well. Very well. Excellent." He was fighting a grin as he walked away. Roxanne smiled slightly. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad? She turned back to the sea, and gripped the railing tightly as she thought of the future.


	18. Chapter 17

" _Well. Very well. Excellent." He was fighting a grin as he walked away. Roxanne smiled slightly. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad? She turned back to the sea, and gripped the railing tightly as she thought of the future._

~- Night, Brig, The Black Pearl -~

Pintel and Ragetti were mopping tar onto the interior of the hull. A few inches of water still stood in the brig. Jack's crew were crowded into Jack's old cell, though now it was repaired.

"Shiver me timbers!" Cotton's parrot squawked, drawing Ragetti's attention slightly, before he goes back to mopping, muttering under his breath.

"Cotton here says you missed bit." Gibbs helpfully translated. Pintel slapped his mop against the cell, and Gibbs took the hint. Victoria was alone in the other cell, watching the pirates, and thinking back to her time with Jack.

"You knew William Turner?" She posed to Pintel, who frowned, but took the excuse not to work, and leaned on his mop.

"Ol' Bootstrap Bill. We knew him." He said, as Ragetti kept working. Victoria frowned, and Pintel continued. "Never sat well with Bootstrap, what we did to Jack Sparrow." Pintel scratched his chin. "The mutiny and all. He said it wasn't right with the Code. That's why he sent off a piece of the treasure to you, as it were. He said we deserved to be cursed, and remain cursed." Victoria had never suspected this, and frowned "Stupid blighter."

"Good man." Gibbs interrupted, and Pintel shot him a look.

"Well, as you can imagine, that didn't sit too well with the Captain."

"That didn't sit too well with the Captain at all. Tell 'im what Barbossa did!" Ragetti said eagerly, and Pintel turned his annoyed gaze on his friend.

"I'm telling the story!" He snapped, but continued. "So what the Captain did, he strapped a cannon to Bootstrap's bootstraps, and last we saw of Ol' Bill Turner, he was sinking to the crushing black oblivion of Davy Jones' locker." Jack's crew looked sick at the idea. "'Course, it was only after that we learned we needed his blood to lift the curse."

"That's what you call 'ironic.'" Ragetti mused, the pair looked at each other and laughed, gallows humor. Barbossa appeared behind Pintel, cutting short Ragetti's laughter, and Pintel turned, quickly letting the captain, who was flanked by several other pirates, in. Barbossa regarded Victoria for a moment, then tossed a ring of keys to Ragetti.

"Bring her." He ordered.

\- Evening, Main Deck, HMS Dauntless -

Jack was at the rail, looking out at the sea when Roxanne approached him. She was dressed in sailor's clothes, at her father's insistence that she wear something more modest than just a slip.

"Does she call out to you too?" She asked, and Jack glanced at her, frowning slightly. "The sea I mean." He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful.

"As pleasant as places like Tortuga are, the sea will always be my home. And considering what you are, it doesn't seem strange for it to be yours as well." He mused, and she nodded in understanding.

"Jack… The stories, of Isla Sirena and Whitecap Bay, are they true?" Roxanne asked, and he looked at her amused.

"Of the mermaids? Aye, met some myself. Vicious as can be, just as beautiful as the stories say. Your proof enough." He smirked, and she smiled slightly, standing up a little straighter, a far away look in her eyes as she imagined them swimming around her.

"What were they like?" He paused.

"Curious. Vicious. Beautiful. Territorial." He sighed wistfully. "Decent kissers, but they need to use less teeth." He teased her, and she rolled her eyes, gently punching him in the shoulder and he waggled his eyebrows at her.

"The second time was your fault and you know it." She said, and he chuckled.

"You were the one who sang love."

"You were the one who asked me to." She countered, and he nodded in agreement, chuckling.

"You are a lovely singer by the way."

"I'm a mermaid. It's in my blood." She said proudly, tossing her brown hair over her shoulder, and they fell into a comfortable silence, mulling over their thoughts in the peace of their own minds. Simply enjoying the calming sea breeze, when a question began eating at Roxanne's mind.

"You didn't tell him about the curse." Roxanne murmured thoughtfully.

"I noticed neither did you. For the same reason, I imagine." Jack said, and she sighed.

"He wouldn't have risked it." Roxanne shook her head knowingly.

"You could have gotten him drunk." She laughed at this, and looked at him in amusement. "Don't get me wrong, love. I admire a person who's willing to do whatever's necessary." Jack winked, and she rolled her eyes.

"You're a smart man, Captain Jack Sparrow… But I don't entirely trust you." He gave her a crooked smile, and gestured to them both.

"Peas in a pod, love."

"With me, Sparrow!" They turned upon hearing Commodore Norrington bark the order at Jack. The commodore tossed him the compass, and turned to stride back up to the wheel. Jack followed him, opening the seemingly broken compass.

\- Night, Lagoon, Isla de Muerta -

Commodore Norrington watched the abandoned Black Pearl carefully, not letting his carefully hidden anxiousness show as he lowered his spyglass.

"I don't care for the situation. Any attempt to storm the cave could turn into an ambush." He snapped quietly at Jack, who shared the long boat with him and a few of his men.

"Not if you're the one doing the ambushing." Jack said thoughtfully, and Norrington narrowed his eyes at him. "How about, I go in, convince Barbossa to send his men out with their little boats, you and your mates return to the Dauntless and blast them with your little cannons." Jack explained. "What have you got to lose?" Jack said, laying an arm on Norrington's shoulder, which the Commodore promptly removed.

"Nothing I'd lament being rid of." He growled.

"Ah, but now there's still a slight risk to those aboard the Dauntless, which includes the future Mrs. Commodore." Jack added, and watched as Norrington considered it.

\- Night, Cabin, HMS Dauntless -

Elizabeth struggled as she was gently shoved inside the cabin by Gillette and two marines. Roxanne was already inside, arguing with Governor Swann over whether this was necessary at all.

"Sorry, but it's for your own safety!" Swann sighed, quickly leaving through the door.

"I don't care!" Roxanne snapped at him as he disappeared. "I just want to watch!"

"You can watch from the safety of the cabin, who knows, you may even spot a mermaid or a sea serpent while you're at it." Gillette teased, and he shut the door. Elizabeth turned away to look at Roxanne, anger clearly written on her face.

"Well I certainly won't be doing much swimming from here." Roxanne huffed, feeling a tad insulted by the comment.

\- Night, Beach, Cavern Isla de Muerta -

Lit by torches and shafts of moonlight illuminate pirates as they move through the caves, climbing over rocks and through water, toward the center. An air of grim anticipation had settled over Victoria, who followed Barbossa as he lead the way, who tossed an apple off to the side. As they pushed Victoria toward the chest, and she glared at them, subtly tugging at the ropes that bound her.

"No reason to fret. Just a prick of the finger. A few drops of blood." Pintel assured her, when Twigg shook his head, grinning.

"No mistakes this time. She's only half Turner. We spill it all." He growled, and Pintel seemed to find great delight in this.

"I guess there is reason to fret." Victoria was pushed closer to the stone chest by Koehler and Twigg, and shoved to her knees. Koehler pushed Victoria's head forward directly over the chest, the medallion hung below her throat, glinting in the dim light. Barbossa took the stone knife from atop the chest of gold, he thumbed the blade, and blood easily stained it.

Victoria's life began flashing through her eyes as she felt the cool blade press to her throat. All her mini-adventures traipsing through the jungle with Roxanne and Elizabeth, who had been reluctant to do so, but joined her nonetheless. She remembered all those times and moments she had with Elizabeth…

Those shared glances, 'accidental touches', feelings she could confide in to Elizabeth and no one else, not even Roxanne. The thing that made her heart wrench the most, was that she never got to tell her how she felt…

"Excuse me. Pardon me. Beg pardon."

"Jack!?" Victoria gasped.

"It's not possible." Barbossa growled, gripping the blade tighter.

"Not probable." Jack corrected, and Victoria narrowed her eyes.

"Where's Elizabeth?!" She frowned. "And Roxanne?" she added hastily.

"She's safe, just like I promised. Roxanne's all set to marry Commodore Norrington just like she promised." Victoria's eye twitched, she never thought Roxanne would actually agree to it. "And you get to die for her, just like you promised. So we're all men of our word really, except for You, Elizabeth, and Roxanne, who are in fact women." He smiled brightly as Pirates surrounded him.

"Oh shut up ! You're next!" Barbossa growled, jabbing the knife at him. Barbossa again placed the knife to

"You don't want to be doing that, mate." Jack interrupted, and Barbossa glared.

"No, I really think I do."

"Your funeral." Jack shrugged, and Barbossa pressed the blade to Victoria's throat, who just wants it over with already. Barbossa cringed, oh how he wanted to slice this woman's neck open. But….

"Why don't I want to do it?" He whirled back on Jack.

"Well, because..." Jack shrugged, moving away from the pirates, and he stepped forward, looking as smug as usual. Because the HMS Dauntless, pride of the Royal Navy, is floating just off shore, waiting for you."

\- Night, Cave Entrance, Isla de Muerta -

Seven long boats full of marines were positioned on either side of the cave mouth, waiting for the pirates. Murtogg and Mullroy were in Norrington's boat, directly behind him.

"What we doing here?" Murtogg whispered to Mullroy.

"The pirates come out, unprepared and unawares, we catch 'em in a crossfire and send 'em to see Ol' Hob." Mullroy whispered back.

"I know why we're here... I meant, why aren't we doing what it was... What Mr. Sparrow said we should do? With the cannons and all?"

"Because it was Mr. Sparrow who said it." Norrington huffed, making them pause.

"You think he wasn't telling the truth?" Mullroy frowned.

\- Night, Main Cave, Caverns, Isla de Muerta -

"Just hear me out, mate. You order your men to row out to the Dauntless, they do what they do best. Robert's your uncle, Fannie's your aunt, there you are with two ships. The makings of your very own fleet. Of course, you'll take the grandest as your flagship, and who's to argue? But what of the Pearl?" As he talked, he strolled toward Victoria and the chest. "Name me Captain. I'll sail under your colors, I'll give you ten percent of me plunder, and you get to introduce yourself as 'Commodore Barbossa.' Savvy?"

"And I suppose in exchange, you want me not to kill the whelp?" Barbossa nodded to Victoria, who was watching carefully.

"No, no, no, not at all. By all means, kill the whelp." Victoria pulled a face. "Just not yet. Wait to lift the curse... until the opportune moment." Victoria looks up at him, and scowled: she recognizes the familiar phrase, but doesn't like it. Barbossa looks from Jack to Will suspiciously.

"For instance." Jack continued, scooping up some of the Aztec coins. "Why don't you kill her after you've killed Norrington's men..." He dropped the coins into the chest, using them punctuate his words. "Every... Last... One." It's only Victoria who sees Jack palm one of the Aztec coins, making her narrow her eyes as Barbossa gives the proposal some thought.

"You've been planning this from the beginning. Ever since you learned my name." She growled, and Jack shrugged, throwing her a winning smile.

"Yeah."

"I want fifty per cent of your plunder." Barbossa said, and Jack looked scandalized.

"Fifteen."

"Forty."

"Twenty-five, and I'll buy you a hat. A really big one, Commodore." He grinned, and Barbossa straightened, looking prouder.

"We have an accord." He and Jack approach, and shook hands. Jack turned toward the pirates, grinning.

"All hands to the boats!" He ordered in a grand fashion, and Barbossa glared at him. He smiled sheepishly. "Apologies, you give the orders." He indicated 'Please, go ahead.' Barbossa stepped forward as Jack grinned.

"Gents… Take a walk!" He ordered, and Jack's grin vanished.

"Not to the boats?" It was Barbossa's turn to grin as the pirates left the cavern.


	19. Chapter 18

" _Gents… Take a walk!" He ordered, and Jack's grin vanished._

" _Not to the boats?" It was Barbossa's turn to grin as the pirates left the cavern._

~- Night, Landing, Caverns, Isla de Muerta -~

The pirates filed out of the caverns and towards the boats, grinning menacingly in the dim torch light. As they neared the boats, they walked right past them. Except for Pintel and Ragetti, who were stopped by Bosun, who grinned as he held out a parasol to their chests.

\- Night, Cave Entrance, Isla de Muerta -

The marines outside the caves were anxious for something to happen. Anything at all. That's when they hear the gentle splashing coming from the cave. The marines on either side raised their rifles as a boat emerged from the darkness. They get ready to aim, some were shaking even, when suddenly, they stop and stare in confusion.

In the boat are two women, well, technically, it's Pintel and Ragetti in drag. How they got dresses in their size, we'll never know… A large parasol blocking their faces from the marines and the moon thankfully.

The men still had their rifles up, though they were mostly lowered in confusion.

"Hold Fire." Norrington ordered, and they all lowered their guns, watching as Pintel and Ragetti row past, and toward the Dauntless.

"This is just like what the Greeks done at Troy. 'Cept they was in a horse n'stead of dresses. A wooden horse." Ragetti mused to Pintel as he fanned himself, but quickly shut up when Pintel glowered at him.

\- Night, Main Deck, HMS Dauntless -

Governor Swann approached the door nervously, and nodded to the guard.

"A moment, please?" The guard departed, and Swann took a deep breath before knocking gently on the door.

"Roxanne?" He called, and waited for an answer. When he didn't hear one, he sighed, shaking his head slightly.

"I just want you to know, I believe you made a very good decision today... I couldn't be more proud of you in fact." He smiled weakly. "But, you know, even a good decision, if made for the wrong reasons... Could be a wrong decision."

Inside the cabin, Roxanne frowned at her adopted father's words. She made her decision, and she was going to live with it. As she always did with her decisions.

Behind her, Elizabeth was still messing around with the makeshift rope she had made out of the sheets, curtains, and other useful pieces of cloth.

\- Night, Underwater, Lagoon, Isla de Muerta -

Fish swam around lazily in the moonlight, oblivious to the strifes from the world above. Some scour the shallow waters and over the rippled sand floor, looking for food.

Suddenly all the fish scatter, scared off by something...

In the distance, a figure appears, slowly scuffling forward, kicking up clouds of sand. More dark shapes joining the lone figure, slowly moving through the water, moonlight glinting off their white bones as they moved, their faces fixed in never ending grins.

The lead skeleton stopped in front of a huge iron anchor, which was twice his height, even if it was buried halfway into the sand. The skeleton looked up the heavy chain leading up to the surface, and to the giant hull of the HMS Dauntless, silhouetted by moonlight.

The first skeleton put a knife between his teeth, started to crawl up the iron rings, quickly followed by the others as they crowded forward, soon clustering the anchor-chain with skeletons.

\- Night, Main Deck, HMS Dauntless -

Governor Swann frowned as he listened to silence.

"Elizabeth, are you there?" He tried for his daughter, but still got no response. "Are either of you even listening to me?" Swann asked, but got nothing but silence. So he pushed open the door, and saw several knotted bed sheets hanging from the cabin's window. He groaned, and hurried over to watch Elizabeth and Roxanne rowing towards the caves.

Why did he ever let them get so adventurous?

While Governor Swann was lamenting his parenting choices inside the cabin, Koehler had made it onto the deck of the HMS Dauntless, and was moving silently as he snuck up behind the first Sentry and slit his throat, grinning slightly as the man fell. Bosun came up next, and strangled another sentry, and he to fell to the deck. The pirates started to advance towards the stern of the ship, moving silently as they did so.

And in the water, Pintel and Ragetti were nearing the Dauntless, their parasols protecting them from the moonlight. They'd been spotted by one of the men on patrol.

"Uh… Lieutenant?" He called, and Gillette looks through a telescope while the crew are transfixed and puzzled at the bizarre sight.

"Yoo-hoo." Ragetti smiled, and waved, making the crew even more confused while behind them, Twigg gestured down to his comrades, and the followed him on board the Dauntless.

"Stop that! I already feel like a fool." Pintel hissed at Ragetti, who huffed.

"We look nice, though." Pintel took offense to that, and growled. He leaned forward and slugged him before dropping his parasol to throttle the skinny pirate, who in turn, drops his own parasol in an attempt to pry his friends hands off.

Unfortunately, this revealed them for who they really were... The two pirates, well skeletons in drag, looked at the crew, who stared back at them in horror. There's nothing more scary than immortal pirate skeletons in drag trying to kill each other…

Obviously.

Pintel made use of the moment, and pulled out his pistol, firing it toward the HMS Dauntless, and knocking Gillette's hat off, making him yelp. Gillette turned, and almost screamed in horror as the skeleton pirates attacked.

They dropped down from the rigging like spiders, their bones almost seeming to glow in the light of the full moon. Swords started to clash and gunshots rang out as the fight began. Governor Swann upon hearing the noise from above, opened the door…

Just as a body plummeted to the deck in front of him, he screamed, and slammed the door as quickly as possible, and began to barricade it.


	20. Chapter 19

_They dropped down from the rigging like spiders, their bones almost seeming to glow in the light of the full moon. Swords started to clash and gunshots rang out as the fight began. Swann, hearing the noise from above, opened the door…_

 _Just as a body plummeted to the deck in front of him, he screamed, and slammed the door as quickly as possible, and began to barricade it._

~- Night, Main Cavern, Caves, Isla de Muerta -~

Barbossa watched as Jack sauntered around the cave, examining the treasure, occasionally picking up something exquisite before dropping it back into the pile and moving on.

"I must admit, Jack: I thought I had you figured." Jack didn't look up at Barbossa, but a smile twitching on his face. "But turns out, you're a hard man to predict." Barbossa mused, and at that Jack glanced up, shaking his head, smiling slightly.

"Me? I'm dishonest." Jack mused, twirling a coin in his hand. "And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly! It's the honest ones you want to watch out for. Because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... Stupid." He he started towards a pirate guard as Barbossa contemplated what Jack had said.

When in one quick move, Jack pulled the sword from the pirates scabbard, kicked him into the water, and flipped the sword up to Victoria, who caught it from behind, as her hands were still bound. She kicked the pirate guarding her into the water, and desperately started moving the sword so it would cut her ropes.

Jack pulled out his own sword, and Barbossa looked from Jack to Will, not quite registering what had taken place. He quickly scrambled to his feet, pulled out his sword and lunged at Jack, who parried easily. Victoria managed to get out of her bonds and blocked the two pirates that started to attack her.

\- Night, The Black Pearl -

Elizabeth held the rowboat steady while Roxanne started climbing up the Black Pearl, quickly following afterwards. When Elizabeth reached the gun port, she could hear voices, and continued up to hear the conversation better. Two Pirates, Mallot and Grapple, had set out a fine feast of wine, rum, jerky, cakes, apples, and biscuits, the smell made her mouth water.

"What would you pick to eat first? We should decide now, so we're ready, when the time comes." Mallot asked eagerly, eyeing everything in delight. Elizabeth peeked into the window, curious.

"I was thinking ... Cake." Grapple said, tapping his chin.

"I was thinking cake too." Mallot spoke in a deadly voice that made Elizabeth shudder. She could hear Roxanne struggling onto the top of the ship, but continued to watch the pirates, in fascination and slight morbid curiosity, as they stared at each other…

Lightning quick, Grapple slammed a knife into the table between them, his hand going skeletal in the Grapple leaned the handle of the knife toward Mallot, and his face broke out into a grin.

"You cut, I choose." Mallot gave a single nod, and Elizabeth continued to climb, no longer interested.

Elizabeth climbed over the gunwale, seeing Roxanne looking around, frowning. No guards? Suddenly, the skeletal monkey dropped down, screeching in Elizabeth's face, making both Roxanne and her jump. When Roxanne realized it was just the monkey, she growled in annoyance, and raised her fist...

Below, Mallot and Grapple are still focused on their mock feast; the Monkey shrieked as it dropped onto a cannon with a loud clang! The monkey remained on the barrel of the cannon for a beat, causing Mallot and Grapple to look up.

"What was that?" Grapple said, and they both leaned forward and angled their heads to look out the gun port, watching the dazed monkey sitting on the cannon, then it slid off and plummeted down to the water. A splash followed shortly after. They looked up, and saw the surprised face of Elizabeth sticking out over the gunwale. She quickly disappeared, and the pirates drew back inside to chase after her.

Elizabeth raced down the stairs, dragging Roxanne after her. Hesitating at the bottom of the steps. Where would they hide?!

But thankfully, Roxanne was fast on her feet, and quickly shoved them both into a tight hiding spot as the pirates race past, headed up to the deck. The two girls let out a sigh of relief, and came out from their hiding spot. They hurried along the gun deck, and down another set of steps to the brig, where they blinked at the darkness.

"One question Elizabeth, what gave you the idea to accept James's proposal for me?" Roxanne whisper asked, looking for a light, and Elizabeth glared at her through the darkness.

"Are we really talking about this now?!" She hissed, whirling on her.

"Roxanne? Elizabeth?" They both turned to stare at Jack's crew, who were all held up in a cell, looking at the pair curiously.

\- Night, Cave Entrance, Isla de Muerta -

A bell sounded loudly aboard the Dauntless, alerting Norrington and his men just before it was cut off.

"Make for the ship! Move!" Norrington ordered, and they quickly row for the Dauntless while pirates start fire upon them, blowing one of the longboats out of the water.

\- Night, Captain's Cabin, HMS Dauntless -

Weatherby Swann hesitantly peered out of the glass window at the mayhem on the deck, watching in horror before the face of dead marine slams on the glass next to him, causing him to let out a yelp, and quickly duck. He slowly peeked up again to see a skeleton pirate grinning down at him.

Swann cowered and began to back away below the window. Pirate hands reached through the windows, smashing the glass and start grabbing at him. One of the pirate hands managed to grab ahold of Swann's wig and pulled it off his head.

But, Swann refused to let it go and began a tug-of-war with the pirate over his wig. He then grabbed a bull horn off the table behind him, and whacked at the skeleton arm, which eventually fell off and on to the floor, and he pried the hand away from his wig.

\- Night, Main Cavern, Caves, Isla de Muerta -

The sound of metal hitting metal rang throughout the cavern as Jack and Barbossa continued their swordfight. Dodging and parrying blows as they fought. Barbossa managed to drive Jack into the ground. Barbossa lowered his sword, grinning smugly as he stared down at Jack.

"You can't beat me, Jack." He taunted, and Jack gritted his teeth, and thrusted his sword into Barbossa's chest… Barbossa raised an eyebrow at Jack, and pulled out the sword, blood not coming from the wound, but there was blood dripping on the sword.

Barbossa studied it for a moment as Jack rose again. Barbossa looked at Jack, and drove the sword through Jack's chest, causing Jack to stumble back a few steps and into the glow of the moon light, turning him into a skeleton pirate.

"That's interesting." Jack mused, looking at his hands, watching as an Aztec coin danced along his fingers… Jack looked back to Barbossa, grinning brightly. "Couldn't resist, mate."

Jack pulled the sword from his chest, and Barbossa took up his sword, and rushed Jack, fueled by a new anger. Both men are in the moonlight now, two skeletons in a seemingly endless battle, with neither able to die...

\- Night, Captain's Cabin, Dauntless -

Swann scrambled away from the arm as it crawled after him, he stood quickly, and looked around for something, _anything_ , to defend himself with. He grabbed a map off the table and began to beat the skeleton arm with it.

He picked it up, and in one swift movement, he shoved it in a bureau drawer. He backed up against the chest as it rattled, map still clutched in his hands defensively, the arm struggling to get out.

\- Night, Main Cavern, Caves, Isla de Muerta -

Victoria was fighting her own battle, now with two pirates instead of just Jacoby. Stuck between the two, she had a brilliant idea, and waited for the two to charge at him. She jumped quickly out of the way, and sprinted away as the pair impaled themselves.

The two pirates looked at themselves for a moment, and then removed the swords to chase after Victoria, who was clambering over a pile of gold, jewelry, and other precious items. As they neared, she spared a glance at Jack and Barbossa, who were still fighting it out, dueling in the moonlight.

Her attention quickly returned back to the two pirates chasing her, and she starts throwing things on the pile at them while desperately trying to think of ways to help Jack.

"So what now, Jack Sparrow?" Barbossa jeered. "Are we to be two immortals, locked in an epic battle 'til Judgment Day and trumpets sound? Hmmm?"

"Or you could surrender." Jack offered with a shrug, before going to block Barbossa's next swing. Barbossa laughed mockingly, and they continued to battle.

\- Night, Main Deck, Black Pearl -

Mallot and Grapple snuck around the deck of the Black pearl, listening for the sounds of life in the eerie quiet.

BOOM!

The pirates whirled around at the sounds, and they're swept off their feet by a life boat, and into the water.

The lifeboat having been shoved by Elizabeth, Roxanne, Gibbs, AnaMaria, and the rest of the crew. The Black Pearl was now theirs, and Elizabeth moved the gunwale of the boat.

"All of you! With me!" Elizabeth called back to them. "Victoria is in that cave, and we must save her. Ready and...Heave!" She stops as soon as she realises Roxanne is the only one pushing, so the only reason the boat is moving is because of her mermaid strength. Elizabeth whipped around the crew, scowling as they hadn't moved.

"Please, I need your help! Come on!" She said desperately, and Roxanne rolled her eyes, she could use the help to...

"Any port! In a storm!" Cotton's parrot croaked out, and Elizabeth made a face.

"Cotton is right. We've got the Pearl." Gibbs said, and Roxanne turned to glare at him.

"What about Jack? You just going to leave him?" Elizabeth challenged.

"Jack owes us a ship." The small pirate piped up, and Gibbs nodded.

"And there's the code to consider…"

"The code? You're pirates! Hang the code! And hang the rules! They're more like guidelines, anyway!" Elizabeth snapped, and Gibbs looked away, he knew that, but still….


	21. Chapter 20

" _And there's the code to consider…"_

" _The code? You're pirates! Hang the code! And hang the rules! They're more like guidelines, anyway!" Elizabeth snapped, and Gibbs looked away, he knew that, but still…._

~- Night, Rowboat, the Lagoon -~

Elizabeth and Roxanne were alone in a rowboat, the Black Pearl, behind them, under sail and moving away.

"Bloody pirates…" Elizabeth grumbled under her breath, as she rowed towards the cave, while Roxanne gripped the sides, letting Elizabeth get out her frustration by rowing furiously. Roxanne was angry to, but she at least understood why the other weren't helping.

It was a stupid ass reason, but she understood it. So, instead of focusing on her angry friend, Roxanne watched as the skeleton pirates climbed aboard the Dauntless, when a somewhat crazy idea struck her.

"Lizzie… Keep going, find Victoria, and get her free." Roxanne said, already having made up her mind.

"Roxanne?" Elizabeth asked worriedly. "What are you-"

"I'm going to try a distract them… Just, be careful." Roxanne explained, giving Elizabeth one last look, and she dove into the water, the cool water bringing her home.

\- Night, Main deck, HMS Dauntless -

The fight aboard the Dauntless continues. Pintel and Ragetti make their way on deck, killing as they go. Ragetti notices; eyes fixed on the ship as it sails past.

"Is it supposed to be doing that?" Ragetti said to pintel, Pintel looked to where Ragetti is looking, registers what's happening:

"They're stealing our ship!" Pintel cried out, looking slightly hurt. Ragetti gripped the rails with rage.

"Bloody pirates!" He spat out, before turning his attention to Norrington's boats, which have just arrived.

"Boarders away!" Norrington shouted, and his men began to climb up the side to join the others in the raging battle above.

As Norrington climbed up, he listened to the fighting above, the sound of gunfire and clashing swords. When suddenly, something hit his shoulder. Norrington cried out as pain erupted from his shoulder, causing him to lose his grip, and fall back into the icy waters as his men continued to climb. His head hit something hard as he his the water, a piece of wood maybe? His vision started to blur as he sunk deeper down in the cold waters.

He struggled to swim towards the surface, but it was getting harder to see and his arm was killing him. Red started fogging up his vision, and he couldn't think clearly. He just hopes his remaining men made it to the ships… He hopes Roxanne is alright, he hopes she's safe…

\- Night, Main deck, HMS Dauntless -

"Come on!" Pintel shouted, and several of the pirates charged the new arrivals.

Officer Gillette stood up on a railing and swung a large block and tackle across the deck at the Bo'sun. Bo'sun saw it and ducked before taking off after Gillette. The block and tackle swung back and hit Ragetti in the head. Ragetti's eye popped out, and he began to chase after it.

Murtogg and Mullroy finally make it up to the railing of the ship, react to the fighting. They shook hands, then climb on deck, letting out a battle scream.

\- Night, Underwater -

Roxanne, while ripping apart the skeletal pirates underwater, turned at the sound of something hitting the water, and saw some of Norrington's men sinking in the water, she frowned, about to go back to her task, when she noticed James struggling to swim back to the surface. She let out a heavy sigh, and swam over.

She felt an obligation to save him, Norrington being her fiance and all. As she swam over, she circled him, trying to see if he was conscious or not.

\- Night, Caves, Main Cavern, Isla de Muerta -

Victoria was still dueling Jacoby, dodging and blocking as best she can, but he has the clear advantage with more practice with a sword. And the bombs….

But she didn't exactly realise he had them until he threw one at her, and she sprinted away in time, but the explosion threw her to the ground, along with precious things tossed up by the battle, burning her where they touched her.

Jack glanced at her for a moment, startled by the explosion, before focusing back on the fight that neither of the dueling skeletons would lose...

But for Victoria, she'd lost her sword, and Jacoby was laughing as he neared her, his feeting kicking up precious jewels and gold coins. As she scrambles backward, she thinks desperately, looking around for anything that would help her.

But she's not Roxanne, she's not as good at thinking on her feet and "going with the flow" so to speak. She doesn't see anything remotely useful, and Jacoby is raising his sword, grinning wickedly.

"I'm gonna teach you the meaning of PAIN!" He laughed

"You like pain?" Jacoby turned, and Victoria moved her head to see Elizabeth coming from the smoke behind him, holding a long gilded gaffe. She swung sharply, knocking Jacoby aside.

"Try wearing a corset." She snarled, before turning to Victoria and smiling brightly. She grinned back, and Elizabeth pulled her up by the gaffe, and Victoria pulled her into a hug.

"I'm glad you're still alive." Victoria murmured, savoring the moment of embrace before the sharp clang of metal against metal brought her back to reality. The pair turned to watch Jack and Barbossa deuling, their smiles gone and the moment ruined as they watched the dueling pirates shift through the moonlight, skeletal monsters one moment, perfectly human the next.

"Whose side is Jack on?" Elizabeth asked as they watched the shoddy form of dance to the death.

"At the moment?" Victoria sighed, and Elizabeth blinked, before nodding in understanding. Because really, with Jack; who can tell? The pair are distracted again by Jacoby charging at them, sword drawn, and before they know it, they're cornered by two others.

The trio of skeletal pirates attack, while Victoria and Elizabeth used the gaffe interchangeably, while moving between the pirates and parrying their blows, Victoria got an idea, and started putting the pieces together, planning out her moves better.

Elizabeth caught on quickly enough, and then when they get the pirates aligned, Elizabeth and Victoria thrust the gaffe, using it to hook all three pirates together, with Jacoby in the middle.

Victoria grabbed one of Jacoby's bombs and yanked it free, and she sparked the fuse. Victoria shoved it up inside Jacoby's rib cage, and Elizabeth and her shoved all three out of the moonlight, turning them human again, with no way to get the bomb out.

"No fair!" Jacoby rasped out, smoke coming from his mouth. Victoria grinned, and grabbed Elizabeth's hand, dragging her away and over the rocks and piles of gold as the bomb exploded.

BOOM!

Jacoby's and the other skeletal remains crashed down in a nearby pool of moonlight, some of them smoking as they floated on the surface.

On the other side of the cavern, where Barbossa and Jack were dueling, the two pirates stopped, and stared at where the explosion had come from. Jack takes this lapse as a chance to slice his palm open, soaking the coins in his blood, before Barbossa slashed at him again, frustrated beyond measure.

With a quick swing, Jack managed to drive Barbossa into a pile of gold before tossing Victoria, who had clambered onto the gold pile nearest the aztec chest, the blood stained medallion.

Barbossa, who was always one quickly to draw, pulled out his pistol. And aimed it at Elizabeth, who skidded to a stop as she registered the danger she was now in.

And then a shot echoed throughout the cavern, bouncing off the walls.

\- Night, Underwater -

Roxanne swam quickly over to where Norrington was slowly sinking, some of his other men falling overboard occasionally, but she was focused on him at the moment. As she reached him, she paused, a bloom of red coming from his shoulder.

The smell of prey reached her nose. A sickly grin spread across her face as she started towards him, claws and fangs extending slightly as she circled him like a shark. Then she felt her humanity seep back in.

 _Not this one. This one not prey._

But she was so hungry!

 _NO! Not this one… This one we save._ Her humanity was trying to negotiate with her… Great.

But fooood.

 _Food later. Save now._

And so, her humanity took over, and she studied his face for a moment. Was she to late? She tested her theory by gently touching his face, and his eyes snapped open. He stared at her in shock, and his mouth opened, forcing him to let out a bunch of bubbles as he started thrashing.

Roxanne gritted her teeth. She didn't have time for this! She grabbed his face in her webbed hands, and pulled him in for a kiss, forcing him to stop thrashing. When she pulled away, he stared at her again, and she made a series of annoyed clicking sounds before wrapping her arms around his midriff. She hauled him towards the surface, where she would no doubt be faced with many questions.


	22. Chapter 21

_When she pulled away, he stared at her again, and she made a series of clicking sounds before wrapping her arms around his midriff. She hauled him towards the surface, where she would be faced with many questions._

~-Night, Caves, Main Cavern, Isla de Muerta-~

Barbossa looked surprised, and turned to Jack. He couldn't believe it. Jack, pistol raised and aimed, still smoking, had as shot him.

"Ten years you carry that pistol, and now you waste your shot?" Barbossa questioned, amusement clear on his voice. Was Jack really _this_ stupid?

"He didn't waste it." Victoria chimed in, and Barbossa turned to see Victoria standing over the Aztec chest, holding the knife, her left hand in a fist.

As she opened her palm, and both her and Jack's coins dropped, revealing the cut in her palm, and they fell into the chest to join the others in a mass of glittering gold.

Barbossa felt a shudder go through him, and then it seemed like a certain weight was lifted off his shoulders. He slowly looked down at his chest. Blood was blossoming around the wound, staining his shirt a dark red.

Jack lowered his pistol, which was still smoking slightly.

Barbossa stares at the blood in disbelief, before looking up at Jack, then to Victoria, and then back at Jack. He felt anger, which was quickly followed by dismay and resolution. He took an unsteady step back, and a soft smile graced his lips.

"I feel... Cold." He breathed out, before collapsing onto his back, propped up by a pile of gold treasure. His sword and gun fall from his hands, and a sigh of relief is let out throughout the cavern.

Victoria moved toward Elizabeth, relieved she was okay, because for a moment there, she wasn't sure which gun had fired. Their eyes met, words so desperately wanting to be spoken behind closed lips, like a dam waiting to burst. Victoria pulls her into a tight embrace, relishing in the moment.

Which is promptly ruined by a loud CRASH. They both turn to see Jack gathering up pieces of treasure, including large gold objet d'art. Victoria and Elizabeth look back at each other, the moment was officially ruined, and they were forced back into reality...

"We should return to the Dauntless." Elizabeth sighed, averting her gaze, and Victoria nodded, the chance like so many others, was lost.

"Roxanne and her fiancé will be wanting to know we're safe." Elizabeth blinked, confused as how she knew that, but then she remembered Roxanne, who was probably wanting her dress back.

"Yes, I do believe she'll want her dress back…" Victoria made a face. "She decided to be reckless and went to go help." Elizabeth explained, before turning and heading out of the cavern.

"Right, of course." Victoria mumbled, her shoulders sagging. Jack strolled up to her, holding and wearing a large amount of treasure, including a crown perched precariously on his head.

"If you were waiting for the opportune moment... That was it." Victoria nodded numbly, and Jack gently pat her shoulder while adjusting his bag, which was slung across his shoulder, of treasure.

\- Night, Water, Rowboat -

The gentle waves sloshed against the side of the rowboat, the rocking making Elizabeth nervous as she looked around for Roxanne, eyes focused on the dark waves and rocks around them. Jack, sulking from the missing Pearl, sat at the bow, facing forward; Victoria was at the oars, facing backwards.

"I'm sorry, Jack, about the Pearl." Victoria interrupted the silence, and Jack shrugged.

"They done what's right by them. Can't expect more than that." Victoria shot him a look, dammit, man you could expect more than that. She was about to say something, but Elizabeth stopped her by pointing out where Roxanne was. Perched on the rocks, with what looked like a body lying next to her.

"Let's hope she hasn't eaten the poor mans face off." Jack chimed in, and Victoria rowed faster, a new sense of urgency filling her.

\- Night, the rocks outside Isla de Muerta -

Norrington gasped for air as he breached the surface, Roxanne guiding him over to the rocks, where she pulled him up, and laid him on his back.

"W-What-"

"Shut up. You bleeding isn't helping, and I don't need you talking." She gritted her teeth, it was getting harder to resist eating him. It wasn't her fault he smelled so good! "Look, I know you have many, many questions, but I really need to concentrate right now. You've got this gaping wound in your shoulder, and I can't have you talking."

"But-"

"Quiet." She hissed at him, and he clamped his mouth shut. "You're going to need something to bite on… Right." She looked him over, and she ripped off one of his jackets sleeves, he made a noise of pain, and she started folding it, so he could bite down on it.

"The ultimate test for marriage… Don't hate me for this." She said wrily, and ripped away the rest of the cloth around his shoulder, exposing the wound. She curled away from it, this was not going to be easy, but she had to do it.

"I'm so sorry." And she said, and she let her claws extend, and she began searching the wound for the bullet. She gritted her teeth as his muffled screams made her lose concentration.

"Almost got it…" She tried calming him. "I'm going to make you better, I just need to get the bullet out first!" She said, as she slowly pulled it out. She must look terrifying… She bit her lip as she studied the now bullet free wound.

"Alright, I've only done this once, and that time it was a totally different situation… But I need you to relax, and trust me." Roxanne said as she pulled the gag away from him, and he grabbed her arm.

"W-What are you going to do?" He grunted out.

"Save your life… Hopefully." She she gently pulled him in for another kiss, focusing all her energy on healing him… He made a noise of surprise before relaxing into her touch. She pulled away after a moment, and looked at his shoulder, the flesh stringing together and regrowing.

"It worked!" She beamed, and he stared at her, his brain still trying to process what had just happened. "I can't believe it actually worked!" Roxanne ran a hand through her hair, and Norrington nodded numbly, not sure exactly what he was supposed to say, because no amount of military training had prepared him for the possibility of his fiancee being a mermaid. So, he just blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, filter be damned.

"Y-You're part fish." Was all he said, and her smile wavered slightly.

"Yes, uh, we will have to talk about that later, because at the moment, I do believe our ride is here." She said, nodding toward the rowboat headed their way.

\- Night, Deck, HMS Dauntless -

On the upper deck of the HMS Dauntless, the battle still raged. Gillette swung his sword as he battled Koehler. The skeleton pirate cackled as they battled.

"You won't win, Lieutenant." He mocked, pushing Gillette further back, stepping into the shadow of the main mast. Gillette growled, and in a swift movement, thrusted his sword forward, finding its mark in Koehler's chest.

Koehler froze for a moment, and slowly looked down at the sword imbedded in his chest, as if his brain was trying to compute what was happening. Suddenly, he cried out in pain, and fell, Gillette's sword still embedded in his chest as he fell with a thud.

Inside the cabin, the bureau drawer was no longer rattling. Governor Swann cautiously approached, and reached for the drawer. He hesitated, before deciding 'to hell with it' and he pulled the drawer open. He looked down at the severed hand, and gagged, quickly shoving the drawer closed again, his face grimacing in disgust.

Twigg, who had been fighting nearby, watched in mild horror as Koehler fell. He then looks at his own body, which was supposed to be more, skeletal in the moonlight, but he was flesh, he was whole once more. Pity it was at the worst moment possible.

Gillette pulled the sword from Koehler's chest, and put the sword to Twigg's throat. Twigg swallowed thickly, and dropped his weapon. And one by one the other pirates dropped their weapons as well.

Ragetti, who was chasing his eyeball, managed to grab it and happily he pushed it back into it's socket. He looked at Pintel, smiling, but then soon realises the situation when Pintel glares at him, hands in the air. Slowly, Ragetti turns and was greet by the barrels of two guns, held by Murtogg and Mullroy.

"Parley?" Ragetti smiled weakly, and Gillette rolled his eyes.

"The ship is ours, gentlemen." Gillette smirked, and the soldiers and sailors cheered, drawing the attention of Swann, who peeked out of the cabin window. Seeing the battle over, he stepped out onto the deck, joining in on the cheering.

\- Night, water, Row boat -

Roxanne had been relieved that the slip was still in the boat, and hurriedly pulled it on before pulling herself into the small boat, her tail almost pushing Victoria out.

"Sorry." She said hastily, and pushed herself into a sitting position, waiting for her tail to dissolve into a pair of legs.

"You both alright?" Elizabeth asked, as Victoria continued to row while Jack adjusted his bag of gold away from the others, evening out the weight distribution on the small boat.

"This one was shot, but I fixed him." Roxanne grunted, adjusting as she felt her tail drying up quickly.

"Did you use less teeth this time at least?" Jack mused, checking the contents of the bag.

"I swear to God-"

"You shouldn't swear love~" Roxanne was fuming silently, glaring at Jack, her cheeks tinted pink at the reminder.

"What does he even mean by that." Victoria whispered to Elizabeth, who shrugged.

"We'll talk about it later." Roxanne seethed as they approached the HMS Dauntless, the sound of cheering getting louder. As they docked beside the boat, Norrington was the first to go up while Roxanne and Elizabeth held the boat steady.

"But Sir, where is Commodore Norrington?" Norrington heard a soldier ask.

"I'm right here." They all turned to see Norrington climbing over the side of the deck, his hat and wig were missing, leaving his brown hair clinging to his face from the water, his shirt was shredded off the shoulder, and a sleeve of his jacket was ruined.

"But, you were shot." Murtogg stepped forward curiously.

"Do I look like I've been shot."

"You have a shirt covered in blood." A cynical voice behind him chided. "Of course you look like you've been shot." He turned to Roxanne, who was looking at him, amused.

"Roxanne! You're alright!" Uncle Weatherby hurried over to her, and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh sure, she gets all the love." Victoria mused as she pulled herself over the railing.

"Victoria! I'm so glad you're alright!" He let go of Roxanne, and beamed at her. Elizabeth poked her head above the rail, looking amused.

"Picking favorites are we father?" Elizabeth chuckled as Victoria and her father helped her aboard. Uncle Weatherby gently clutched her face, fussing about her, checking if she was alright.

"Father, Father, I'm fine." Elizabeth smiled, gently taking hold of her father's hands.

"Not shot or anything. You can thank me for that by the way." They all looked over at Jack, who was still wearing the crown and jewels, the bag of swag slung over his shoulder. "And I would be much obliged if you docked at the nearest port, preferably Tortuga." He smiled winningly at them. "What?"


	23. Chapter 22

" _Father, Father, I'm fine." Elizabeth smiled, gently taking hold of her father's hands._

" _Not shot or anything. You can thank me for that by the way." They all looked over at Jack, who was still wearing the crown and jewels, the bag of swag slung over his shoulder. "And I would be much obliged if you docked at the nearest port, preferably Tortuga." He smiled winningly at them. "What?"_

~-Night, Jack's cell, Fort Charles, Port Royal-~

Roxanne sighed as she snuck through the fort. Why? Because she felt guilty. Not that she would admit that, she was to proud to.

But, the reason she was sneaking to the jail cell, of one Jack Sparrow, sorry, _Captain_ Jack Sparrow with a bottle of rum she did not have Victoria steal earlier that day, was because she felt guilty over the sentence. Tomorrow, he was to be hanged by the gallows for piracy, despite the only reason the soldier's and sailors were still alive was because he was a pirate, and saved them all when he'd killed Barbossa.

But had her fiance listened to her? Nope. Not at all, but she knew a guilty man when she saw one. So, she decided to apologise in her own way. Giving Jack one last drink before he was to die. Rather morbid if you think about it…

It was easy to bypass the guards, a little flirtation here, some distraction there. She impressed herself sometimes. When she finally approached the door of his cell, she knocked softly, and pushed open the door. Jack was leaning against the stone wall, and she thought he was asleep till he raised his head, looking amused.

"And why exactly are you here so late at night?" He said cheekily. "It's not safe for young ladies to be out so late." She rolled her eyes, and planted herself in front of the cell door.

"And you would know?" He gave a noncommittal shrug. She presented the bottle of rum to him, and he sat up straighter. "I thought it was only right for you to have one last drink before you're sent off to your fate." She handed him the bottle, and he grabbed it eagerly, uncorking it and taking a long swig from it.

"Not bad."

"I had Victoria get it" He raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"She stole it didn't she." Roxanne crossed her arms in a huff.

"She did not."

"I bet she did." He teased, and took another swig. "And you're doing this because you feel guilty." She looked away.

"I do not. I only felt it right that you should have a final drink, as a thank you for saving us."

"I know a guilty man when I see one. Well, in this case you probably don't even feel guilt." She bristled at his comment.

"Of course I feel guilt!"

"So you do feel guilty!" She fumed silently, not bothering to dignify him with a response. "But you need not feel guilty love, I made my decision, and I'll deal with the consequences." He shrugged off, and she sighed.

"I did try you know, to get him to release you. He wouldn't see reason." She examined her nails. "Even though you're basically the only reason we're still alive in the first place." Roxanne grumbled out, and he leaned forward, amused.

"How so?"

"Well, you agreed to help Victoria, even if it was just because you knew her father. Then you agreed to lead us to Isla de Muerta, and after that, you tricked Barbossa into letting you live long enough to free Victoria, and get her out." Roxanne took a deep breath. "So, yes, I may feel a little guilt over the fact that you're going to die in the morning because of us." He smirked. "Even if it was just to get the Black Pearl back, which in the end, didn't even happen because the crew sailed off with it."

"So you pity me." Jack reasoned.

"Yes, I pity you and I feel guilty. Happy now." He chuckled, and offered her the bottle of rum, from which she took a swig from, the familiar burning sensation sliding down her throat. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve before giving it back to him.

"I still don't understand why anyone would drink so much of that." She coughed out, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Are you being a hypocrite Roxy love?" He teased, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Roxy love?"

"What, don't like my nickname for you?" She shook her head, smiling.

"No, no, it's alright I suppose." She sighed. "And I'm not being a hypocrite."

"Really? Because if I remember correctly-" Roxanne's cheeks turned pink.

"Don't bring that up-"

"What? It's true, for you and Elizabeth both!" He laughed, leaning forward. "And you made a series of bad decisions afterwards."

"How so?" She sighed, though there was a smile on her lips.

"First, you decided to drink at all," She scoffed. "Then you decided to sing, trying to woo me and all that nonsense."

"I did not-"

"You did so." He pointed a finger at her, and took another swig. "And then you kissed me. Voluntarily mind you!"

"You're being ridiculous." She folded her arms.

"Am I though?" He mused. "And it wasn't that bad of a kiss." She blinked.

"What?"

"I said you're-

"I know what you said. But why? I thought I 'used to much teeth' if I remember correctly." He shrugged.

"The first time yes." She sighed.

"I was rushed, you were drowning."

"So you saved me. Why?"

"Why?"

"Yes, why did you save me from drowning."

"Because- Well… I don't know." She said, looking thoughtful.

"Hmm… I think it was because of my dashing good looks that made you kiss me in the first place." She snorted at this.

"Your dashing good looks? I don't think I'd drunk enough rum when I saved you. I think it was just the rush of everything that was happening.

"Well have you had enough rum now?" Jack asked innocently, and she blinked in surprise. A sly smile grew on her lips, and she took the rum from his hands, taking a swig from it.

"I have now." She gently pulled him closer, their lips meeting through the cell bars. He tasted of smoke and rum. The seawater no longer diluting it like in their first kiss, and the rum wasn't so strong like in their second. She quickly pulled away from him, cheeks reddening.

"Well you've certainly gotten better than the last time." He mused, and she stood up, rolling her eyes at him, but a smile still graced her lips, and she gave the bottle back to him.

"Good night Jack." And with that, she began her long trek from the Fort, through town, and back to the manor.

\- Day, The Gallows, Fort Charles, Port Royal -

Jack stood on the wooden stage of the gallows, his wrists bound tightly, despite his numerous attempts to free himself from them. The executioner, who'd almost had to drag him up to the gallows, checked the mechanism of the trap door with a sandbag.

"Jack Sparrow…" Jack huffed.

"Captain... Captain Jack Sparrow…" He mumbled to himself.

The official in a powdered wig continued "Be it known that you have been charged, tried and convicted…" He scanned the crowded parade ground, and spotted Roxanne, looking as beautiful as ever. On her right, Commodore Norrington, on her left, Victoria, Elizabeth, and Governor Swann.

His memories of last night came to mind, a form of distraction from his imminent death, and he smiled slightly, but his thoughts were interrupted by the blasted official.

"...For your willful commission of crimes against the crown...Said crimes being numerous in quantity and sinister in nature…" The man droned on. "...The most aggrieved of which to be cited herewith; Piracy, smuggling... "

"This is wrong." Roxanne heard Elizabeth mumble, but the others didn't respond. Roxanne had already had this argument with her fiance, and didn't feel like arguing about it anymore. She'd already reconciled with her guilt, not that anyone else knew that.

"Commodore Norrington is bound by the law." Governor Swann sighed. "As are we all." Roxanne rolled her eyes, and continued to listen to the official list off Jack numerous crimes.

"... Impersonating a person of the Spanish Royal Navy, Impersonating a cleric of the Church of England…" Jack quirked a smile at that. That, had been a fun adventure, oh Angelica. His smile disappeared. "... Sailing under false colors, arson, kidnapping, looting, poaching, pilfering, depravity, degradation, and general lawlessness…"

Victoria bounced impatiently as she stood next to Elizabeth, who had a sour look on her face. Then, he spots the bright plumage of cotton's parrot, which landed on the flagpole being held by Murtogg. She had to hide her laughter when the bird soils his coat.

That's the signal.

"...And for these crimes, you have been sentenced on this day to be hung by the neck until dead… May God have mercy on your soul…" Victoria takes a deep breath, and takes a step forward before pausing, and looking back at Elizabeth, who's watching her with concerned curiosity.

"Victoria?"

"I should have told you every day from the moment I met you…" Victoria smiled weakly, and the group look at eachother confused, but Roxanne has a feeling at what she's about to say.

"I love you." Elizabeth's jaw dropped,looking just as shocked as everyone else. Except Roxanne, who looked rather smug. Victoria quickly turns away, and starts moving through the crowd, looking determined. Elizabeth continues watching on in shock as the noose it put around Jack's neck.

Roxanne, who noticed the bright wings of cotton's parrot, starts putting it together.

"Good lord." She nudged Elizabeth, who turned to look at her. While Victoria begins to draw her sword. Norrington spots this all too easily, and moves past the pair of girls.

"Faint!" Roxanne whisper-hissed, and Elizabeth frowned at her.

"What-"

"Just do it!"

"Marines!-" Norrington begins the order, but stops when Elizabeth suddenly starts to stagger.

"I can't breathe!" She gasps out, and crumbles, only for Roxanne to catch her. Governor Swann and Norrington immediately rush to her side.

"Elizabeth!" The governor cries out, distracting the crowd, leaving Victoria a direct line of sight to the gallows, hurrying forward just as the Executioner grips the release lever. The drum roll ends, and Victoria easily threw her sword, just in time as the Executioner pulls the lever, and the trap door opens. Victoria's sword embeds itself in the door, allowing Jack to balance on it.

Swann fanned Elizabeth while Roxanne untied the hat from her head.

"Now is not the time to be fainting Lizzie!" She chided, and Elizabeth sat up, glaring at her slightly.

"What...?" Then Swann understands, and he and Norrington turn to where Victoria is racing up the steps of the gallows. Jack still balancing on the bending sword with the noose tightening around his neck. The Executioner slashes an axe at Victoria, knocking her sword away. Victoria dodged another swing, and the axe inadvertently cutting Jack's rope, allowing him to drop to the ground below the gallows.

Victoria knocked the Executioner off the gallows platform, and he falls into the crowd on top of Norrington and his men. Jack stood, surprised at the turn of events, but nonetheless takes advantage of the situation. Reaching up to the sword sticking in the the trap door, he slits the rope binding his hands, before hurrying from under the gallows as Victoria lept down.

Pulling off the noose, Jack tosses one end of the rope to Victoria, and they trip some of the Marines coming down the steps as they go up. They grin at each other before veering left, only problem is that Marines, led by Gillette, cut them off. They tried going right, but to no avail as they're cornered by more Marines. Norrington, quickly followed by Governor Swann, Elizabeth, and Roxanne, strode up to the pair, brandishing his sword to Victoria and Jack.

"I thought we might have to endure some ill-conceived manner of escape attempt." He mused, looking at Victoria in contempt. "But not from you."

"On our return to Port Royal I granted you clemency, and this is how you thank me?" He said, looking more like a disappointed father than a man who was simply in charge of her. "By throwing in your lot with him? He is a pirate!"

"And a good man!" Victoria huffed, lowering her sword. "If all I have achieved here is that the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one…" Governor Swann looks even more distraught at that. "So be it. At least my conscience will be clear." She grumbled, and Elizabeth tried pushing forward, but Roxanne held her back, causing Elizabeth to glare at her.

"You forget your place, Turner." Norrington growled, and Victoria gave him a small smile, looking calm as ever.

"It's right here." Her arms spread out slightly. "Between you and Jack." Elizabeth managed to get free from Roxanne, though it required little effort, and she shoved her way forward, standing next to Victoria and taking her hand in her own.

"As is mine." She said, standing taller.

"Elizabeth." Swann pleaded, and Roxanne gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Though it did little to help. Cautiously, she steps forward, placing a hand on Norrington's sword, careful not to cut herself on the sharp blade. They lock eyes, and he finds himself feeling conflicted, this time with a choice that will effect possibly everything he plans for in the future.

"Lower your weapons!" Governor Swann cried out. "For goodness sake, put them down!" Norrington's glances from Roxanne to Gillette, who nodded before gesturing for the marines to lower their rifles.

"So this is where your heart truly lies, then?" He asks, but not to Roxanne, to Elizabeth.

"It is." Looking at Victoria narrowly, he sighs, which did nothing to alleviate the tension in their stand-off.

"Well, I'm actually feeling rather good about this." They all turn to Jack, whose grinning mischievously. "I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh? Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically…" He shot a smile at Norrington.

"I want you to know that I was rooting for you, mate. Know that." He sighed sadly at Roxanne. "Roxy love, it would never have worked between us, darling. I'm sorry." She's rolled her eyes at him, while he turned to Victoria. "Victoria…" He shrugged. "Nice dress?"With that Jack sprung up the steps to the wall, grinning madly.

"Friends! This is the day you will always remember as the day that you-" Jack slipped, causing him to lose his balance, and fall over the edge, flailing as he did so. Everyone rushed to the wall, Roxanne letting out a small breath of relief when he surfaced.

"Idiot. He's nowhere to go but back to the noose." Gillette smirked, and Elizabeth gripped Victoria's arm tightly.

"Sail ho!" Sailing into view from behind the rock side, is the Black Pearl in all her glory. Her black sails illuminated by the setting sun.

"What's your plan of action? Sir?"

Norrington does not respond, dealing with all the ramifications of the last few minutes.

Swann recognizes his dilemma.

"Perhaps on the rare occasion when pursuing the right course demands an act of piracy, piracy itself can be the right course?" Governor Swann offers, and Norrington looks at him, seeing Roxanne nodding encouragingly behind her adoptive father.

"Miss Turner." Victoria steps toward him, with Elizabeth gripping her arm, clearly concerned for her fate.

"I will accept the consequences of my actions." She said, gently prying Elizabeth's hands away, and nudging her towards the Governor and Roxanne.

"Your actions today, will lead to future acts of violence, and piracy against the english crown." He straightens himself. "However, seeing as how your past actions saved many lives… I will be willing to let this go, so long as it never happens again. If you ignore this warning, I shall not be so kind."

"Thank you." Victoria says, breathing a sigh of relief. Norrington turned away, taking Roxanne's arm in his. She was practically beaming at him.

"Commodore? What about Sparrow?" Gillette asked, and Norrington paused, and turned to look at him, a small smile on his lips.

"Oh, I think we can afford to give him one day's head start." He turned again, leading Roxanne away from the others.

"And where would you be taking me good sir?" She said, giving him a flirtatious smile

"I was thinking I could properly court you now that you're safely returned to Port Royal."

"Even with me being a fish demon?" She asked in a low voice, and he paused.

"You're not a fish demon…" He said, his cheeks heating up. "You're a beautiful sea nymph."

"A sea nymph? Well I certainly haven't heard that one before." She mused, and he gave her a soft smile.

Back on the parapet, Elizabeth and Victoria locked eyes, moving closer together. Taking each others hand.

"So this is the path you've chosen, is it?" He asked warily. "She is a woman…" Victoria made a face at that.

"Yes…" Elizabeth beamed at Victoria, cupping her cheek with a smooth hand. "But she's also a pirate." Her father sighed, but smiled nonetheless, and turned away, starting back down the steps to give them some semblance of privacy.

Victoria smiled as she looked deep in Elizabeth's eyes, before leaning in close, and closing the distance between them with a kiss. A kiss that made up for years worth of teen angst and gentle touches. Late night talks and missed opportunities.

\- Day, Water, Port Royal -

As Jack neared the Black Pearl, small waves occasionally smacking him in the face, he could see Cotton, high atop the aft mast, throwing him a line, which he eagerly grasped, desperate to get out of the waves.

"Heave!" What he thought was Gibbs, shouted, and Jack was lifted up and around the fantail of the Black Pearl, and onto the deck. He paused, taking in the feel of being on his beautiful ship once more.

"Thought you were supposed to keep to the code." Jack mused, looking at Gibbs speculatively.

"We figured they were more actual… guidelines." Gibbs smiled, and offered Jack his hand, helping him to his feet.

Cotton's parrot graciously flies over, Jack's hat in it's beak. Unceremoniously he reached over, and placed it awkwardly on the Captain's head.

"Thank you." Jack smiled, adjusting the hat so he could actually see. When he looked up again, he saw AnaMaria, holding out Jack's coat, welcoming him aboard.

"Captain Sparrow…" She said this almost in a reluctant voice. "The Black Pearl is yours." Jack ran his hand lovingly along the wheel, enjoying the feel of the smooth wood in his hands. Broken from the moment by the eyes of the crew, he stands of straighter.

"On deck, you scabrous dogs!" Jack ordered. "Hands to braces... Let go and haul to run free." The crew scattered around him, rushing to obey his commands. "Now... Bring me that horizon…" He mused to himself. Opening the compass and taking a reading, he adjusts the course. Jack gave sentimental smile before he started humming to himself.

"Da ta da da da… And really bad eggs... Drink up me hearties, yo ho…" Jack flipped the compass closed.


	24. Dead Man's Chest preview

**I want to thank everyone who supported me for this first story, special thanks to:**

 **lunasky99**

 **Dinosaur Imperial Soldier**

 **wolfimus prime**

 **And as a little gift to you all, the first chapter of the next book: Dead Man's Chest**

* * *

Roxanne looked at herself in the mirror. Personally she thought she never looked better. Her hair was done up in bune held in place by a carefully placed, delicate but ornate series of flowers. The rest of her hair cascaded gently down her back, though it would mostly be hidden by the long train of her veil. Her dress was a light gold color, with ornate patterns of flowers and swirls on the bust and skirt, it fit surprisingly comfortably.

But, Roxanne still had mixed feelings about the wedding itself. She wasn't getting cold feet if that's what you think. No, she made a promise, and she would keep to it. But she was still feeling the way she did seven months ago. Conflicted and confused…

Turning her head to look out the window she saw the wedding area nearly finished, but in the distance, she saw storm clouds, and she grimaced. Oh how she loved the unpredictability of the weather in the tropics.

"Roxanne?" Said woman jumped a little, and turned to the door where her pseudo Uncle stood.

"Yes?" She forced a smile.

"It's time." Roxanne nodded and stood, grabbing her bouquet from the stand. She carefully picked her way down the steps, and stood before the wooden doors that would lead her to her future.

"You'll do great." Uncle Weatherby smiled as the servants made a few last minute adjustments on her, one handing her a bouquet of white orchids. She took a deep breath, and smiled at him.

"I know."

"You're sure about this?" He asked, for what seemed like the millionth time. Roxanne straightened herself, and put on a smile.

"Absolutely."

And the doors were pushed open, and they started walking towards the alter. The space had been decorated wonderfully, with beautiful flowers from the island contrasting beautifully with the white. On the right side of the seats, sat James's family.

They'd sailed out from England for the ceremony, which Roxanne thought was very thoughtful. On the left, were Roxanne's chosen "family", though she'd really just allowed everyone else to plan the wedding, since it had given her headache with all the things she'd been forced to plan.

So instead, she'd just dumped it on Elizabeth and Uncle Weatherby, favoring instead to run around with Victoria in her last months of "freedom".

When they made it up to the altar, Roxanne followed as they had practiced, and stood opposite James, who was practically beaming. The old Minister began his long droning speech, something she'd had to suffer before when they'd gone to weddings as children.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here on this beautiful day to witness the union of James Norrington and Roxanne Swann in holy matrimony. This is a day of great celebration and reverence, on which we come together before before God to recognize and commemorate the sacred love and dedication shared between these two people. It is wonderful to have family and friends here to join us today." Roxanne didn't even know a majority of these people...

"The bride and groom would like to thank their guests for being here, and would like you to know that each of you were invited here on this day because you have played an integral part in their intertwining lives."

"As the Bible reminds us in Corinthians, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails."

"In the time that James Norrington and Roxanne Swann have spent together, they've built the sturdy foundation for a lifelong relationship. After a great deal of thoughtful consideration, they have decided to bind themselves to one another for the rest of their lives."

"May you all remember and cherish this sacred ceremony, for on this day, with love, we will forever bind James Norrington and Roxanne Swann together."

"Who gives this bride today?" Uncle Weatherby took a small step forward, still smiling.

"I do." The Minister nodded before continuing.

"If there is anyone in attendance who has cause to believe that this couple should not be joined in marriage, you may speak now or forever hold your peace..."

Then, out of absolutely nowhere, the doors were kicked open by a gang of marines barging in, weapons drawn.

Oh hell no...

"What in the world..?" James put his hand on his sword. A man stepped forward, his white curls powdered perfectly, and he radiated an aura that made Roxanne's skin scrawl.

"Governor Weatherby Swann, it's been too long. Apologies for arriving without an invitation." Uncle Weatherby stood as he spoke, stepping towards the man.

"Cutler Beckett?"

"It's Lord now. Actually." Lord Beckett smirked, and Roxanne rolled her eyes.

"Lord or not, you have no reason and no authority to interrupt this wedding!" Uncle Weatherby snapped. Roxanne looked to Victoria and Elizabeth, who looking just as confused.

"In fact, I do. Mr. Mercer?" Lord Beckett continued, and man who looked nothing like how a clerk would expect to look, brought out a wooden box. Lord Beckett took out a paper, and read it off.

"The warrant for the arrest of one Victoria Turner." What... Roxanne snapped her head back to Victoria, frowning. Victoria had always been a trouble maker, yes, but nothing to warrant an arrest!

"This warrant is for Elizabeth Swann!" Uncle Weatherby cried out in surprise, and Roxanne nearly dropped her bouquet. What was going on?

"Oh, is it? That's annoying, my mistake…" Lord Beckett sighed. "Arrest her then." And on that order, several marines headed down the row, much to the distaste of the guests.

"On what charges?!" Elizabeth demanded, struggling in their grasp. Victoria stood up instantly, hurrying after them.

"What in gods name is going on here?!" Roxanne demanded, but she went ignored, much to her anger.

"Aha, here's the one for Victoria Turner!" Lord Beckett handed the other paper to Uncle Weatherby, much to his disbelief. "And I have another one for a Mr. James Norrington, and one Roxanne Swann?" Now Roxanne dropped her bouquet out of surprise.

"What are the charges?" Elizabeth demanded again, and Lord Beckett raised an eyebrow.

"I don't believe that was the answer to the question I asked. "

"Lord Beckett, in the category of questions not answered– " James started, but Roxanne cut him off.

"We are under the jurisdiction of the King's governor of Port Royal and you will tell us what we are charged with!" She demanded, stepping forward, and feeling furious.

"The charge…" Uncle Weatherby started. "Is conspiring to set free a man convicted of crimes against the Crown and Empire and condemned to death for which the…" He trailed off, dropping the papers.

"For which the punishment, regrettably, is also death." Lord Beckett finished, stepping towards Roxanne. "Perhaps you remember a certain pirate named Jack Sparrow?" Roxanne blinked in surprise, and opened her mouth to speak.

"Captain!" Victoria huffed, and Beckett looked over his shoulder at her, amused, while James took the opportunity to stand closer next to Roxanne, gently grabbing her hand.

"Captain Jack Sparrow. Yes, I thought you might." Lord Beckett smirked.


End file.
